Family Matters
by ddgorgeous
Summary: A romantic holiday turns into Derek's worst nightmare and it will take those who are close to him to save his life.
1. Chapter 1

**Home of Derek and Savannah Morgan- Late Evening**

Derek took a deep breath before turning the key. He dreaded the impending confrontation with his wife. He knew he'd been failing as a husband lately and he wasn't sure how to make it right. So, without any more delay he stepped through the door. The house was quiet the smells of lasagna and garlic bread hung in the air. She'd finally gotten it right without burning it beyond recognition.

He set his go-bag next to the staircase.

"You're late."

"Savannah…"

"You promised."

Without looking at her husband she set a plate on the dining room table and removed the plastic wrap. He wrapped his arms round her and pulled her close against his body. She stiffened as he leaned in and placed a kiss behind her ear.

"I'm sorry. It was work."

"It's always work."

She pulled away and took the seat across the table. He watched her; the fire danced in her eyes as she slowly met his apologetic glance. He sat and placed the napkin on his lap.

"I managed to work a double shift and come home and make dinner _and_ take care of your son!"

"You are an amazing wife and mother. I don't deserve you. How can I make it up to you?"

"Time."

"What?"

"I want time alone with my husband."

"I can make that happen."

"I don't mean a few hours, Derek. We need a vacation, just the two of us. No team, no baby. Just us, you and me."

She stood and walked across the room. He watched her return with something in her hand. Without a word she dropped a small folder next to him.

"Okay, what's this?"

"Open it."

"Cuba? Really? But this has us leaving tomorrow! Savannah you know I can't just up and leave! And what about your schedule at the hospital, can they afford to let you go at the last minute?"

"Derek, you've been out of town three weeks out of the last month."

"Savannah, this is my job, my life. You knew this before you got involved…"

"This marriage is in trouble! The hospital has agreed to give me the time off, your mom has agreed to watch Hank. I'm sure Hotch will understand if you need time away. I'm only asking for a week."

"Savannah, we should have discussed this before you went and made planes. This is crazy!"

"Let me put it another way. I will be on that plane headed to Cuba tomorrow afternoon and if you value this marriage and our family, you'll be in the seat next to me!"

Without waiting for his response, Savannah stormed out of the room. He hung his head she was right. Their marriage was in trouble, serious trouble. He hated ultimatums but worse than that he hated the fact that he was on the verge of failure. The voices in his head told him that it was bound to happen, but his heart refused to give up. Not yet. He owed his son what he had missed out on as a boy. So, he'd be on that plane tomorrow with Savannah.

**Dulles Airport – Morning – **

Derek and Savannah had ridden to the airport in silence making the normal forty-five-minute drive feel more like four hours. She'd won this battle, but she still was in a sour mood. It had become her normal. His normal had become suffering through it until she thawed and began acting human again. The international flight required them to arrive two hours early and so they did.

Derek had wished that Hotch would have refused his last-minute request for leave, but understanding how their work made marriages fragile, Hotch freely gave him the time and admonished him to make the best of it. Derek missed Hank already. The baby had been a buffer between him and is wife for the last year. It wasn't right and it wasn't healthy, but it was his reality. He'd seen what had happened between Hotch and Haley and so he understood why this trip was important. Derek wanted to make his marriage to Savannah work for his son's sake if nothing else. He hadn't dared to admit the fact that his heart was somewhere else; with someone else. It was hard pretending that he was in love with Savannah. He was only in love with the idea of Savannah and what they should have been to each other. He'd tried the best he knew how. His kidnapping had convinced him that he loved her, loved the woman carrying his child. But as his wounds healed and the scars faded, he knew it was all a lie. The scars and the beatings were becoming more and more a part of his past and time had given him the strength to manage the memories and the nightmares. But with his new found clarity was truth, his heart's truth and no matter how much he lied and denied it, he loved Penelope. It had always been Penelope.

**BAU Headquarters – Quantico, VA – Morning –**

Penelope headed toward her office at a slower than normal pace. She'd received a short text from Derek letting her know that he was going away for a week with Savannah. Penelope's stomach sank and now being in the office felt different. She missed him already and she wondered what Savannah had done to convince him to take such an impulsive trip out of the country. If anyone had asked her yesterday what would make a man who was so in love with his infant son leave town at the drop of a hat, she'd swear, absolutely nothing. But he had done just that. He'd left Hank…and he'd left her.

Garcia joined the rest of the team in the conference room. All of them had been summoned there by Hotch and she prayed for a case; anything to keep her mind occupied and off Derek.

"Have a seat, let's get started."

There were no pictures on the board and no case files in front of them and no doubt they all were wondering what had caused Hotch to bring them here.

"Morgan has decided to take some time off. He and Savannah are on a much-needed vacation for a week, so the director has decided to let the rest of us off as well."

"After that last case, the timing couldn't be better." Rossi added.

Time off; what the hell was she going to do with time off, Penelope thought as she watched surprised smiles spread across the faces of her fellow teammates. Without another word, Hotch turned and headed toward the door before turning back.

"Unless there's something else, you're all dismissed. Enjoy your week."

With that, they all stood and headed out quickly behind him. JJ and Garcia were the last to leave. JJ couldn't help but notice the less-than pleased look on her friend's face.

"What's up, Garcie? I thought you of all people would be happy with some time off."

"Uh, sure, it's just…"

"Spill it."

"Don't you think it's odd that Derek and Savannah just upped and left town, left the country at that?"

"Garcie, you know they've been having problems and you know Derek would do anything to save his marriage."

"Yeah I get that and all. In fact, I've encouraged him to fight for his marriage, but I can't imagine him leaving Hank."

"Hank is with his grandparents and he will be just fine."

JJ wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders and the two headed down the hallway.

"Garcia, I'm going to say something, but you have to promise me that you won't get mad."

The two stepped into Garcia's office and closed the door.

"What is it?"

"You've got to move on."

"What?"

"Don't, _what,_ me! You need to move on with your life!"

"I have moved on. Derek made his choice and I'm with Sam…kinda, sort of…"

"You can't lie to me! You're still in love with Derek. And, to make matters worse, he's in love with you! For the life of me, I don't know why the two of you weren't honest with each other about how you feel."

"JJ…"

"No, Garcia, you should have told him!"

"He chose Savannah, JJ! What good would it have done if I told my best friend that I was madly, hopelessly in love with him?"

"He chose Savannah because he didn't know he had another choice."

"Well in case you've forgotten, Blondie, Savannah was pregnant!"

"And had you told him how you felt, there would have been no Savannah and no pregnancy!"

"Seriously, JJ? Have you seen Savannah and all the other women Morgan has ever dated?"

"Yes, I have and?"

"And, they're all drop-dead gorgeous and I'm…I'm…"

"And you're drop-dead gorgeous too!"

"I…"

"No! You…are…too!"

Penelope felt the wind leave her body as she plopped down on the couch. She was confident in who she was, and she knew she was beautiful in her own unique way, but she was a realist and she knew that very few men would take the time to see her, really see her. Derek had a type and she wasn't it.

"JJ, trust me, I get it. I'm fabulous, and gorgeous but it takes some men a minute to realize that and that's there fault not mine. I love Derek but I know he's one of those men who would never take the time to see a woman like me."

JJ plopped down next to her friend in frustration and wrapped her in a big bear hug.

"Oh, what am I going to do with you?"

"Help me figure out a way to get over him."

**Las Joyas Resort - Santa Maria Del Mar, Cuba – Afternoon –**

Morgan was impressed at how deceptively private and remote the small resort felt amidst the crowds on the sandy beaches only steps away. He'd never been to Cuba and he had no idea what to expect. As the staff grabbed their luggage from the cab, he felt a twinge of guilt about how he'd not hidden the fact that he didn't want to be here. Even Savannah seemed to relax a bit at the sight of the beautiful surroundings and the over-anxious staff doting on them as they ushered them inside.

After checking in, the two were escorted to a breathtaking casita that was mere steps from their own private section of beach.

"This is beautiful, Savannah."

Ignoring him, Savannah placed her bag on the oversized bed and headed out to the patio. Derek quickly followed her gently grabbing her wrist and stopping her.

"I'm sorry."

Slowly, she turned to face her husband and he could see the sadness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he repeated.

"Derek, I just..."

"I know, I know. We've got a lot of work to do, I've got a lot of work to do but I promise you, I'm here with you! I'm going to do everything in my power to make the most of this week."

Savannah smiled and the sadness seemed to morph into a look of hope. Then as she allowed him to pull her into his arms, he felt hopeful too.

**Location Unknown - Cuba – Afternoon –**

The Tres Verdes Estate was a constant reminder that Armando Villanuevo had succeeded in pulling himself from the extreme poverty of his childhood. Eighty acres of prime beachfront real estate belonged to him and him alone. It had taken many years of hard work and the sacrifice of family time with his wife and three children but he had to believe that it was all worth it to prove to all of his naysayers that despite what any of them had said, he'd made it and risen from the mud like a phoenix rising from the fire.

The polite clearing of the throat pulled him from his thoughts as he slowly turned toward the door. There stood a beautiful raven-haired woman. She was no more than twenty and her resemblance made it seem as if he were looking in the mirror.

"Sorry to disturb you, Papa."

"Not to worry my dove, please come in, come in."

"Rodrigo called."

"Yes, I've been waiting."

"He gave me a message. He said to go to you right away!"

"What is the message?"

"They are here!"

"Bueno! Bueno!"

Then turning away from the young woman, he walked toward his desk and sat. The young girl watched her father, who had suddenly forgotten that she was there, pull a picture frame from his top drawer. Her curiosity getting the best of her, she moved closer.

"What is it, Papa?"

"Not, what, _who_." Then beckoning her with his free hand. "This is her."

"She's gorgeous! Who is she?"

"Her name is, Savannah."


	2. Chapter 2

**Las Joyas Resort – Evening **

It was no accident that Savannah had chosen the quaint upscale resort. She'd spent many days and nights here in a life long ago, before meeting Derek and it held fond memories. She hoped that being back here would rekindle the feelings of joy and possibility that it had in the past. Both she and Derek had allowed their jobs to affect the present and their marriage was cracked and in a delicate state. He'd promised her that he'd do anything to be with her, anything and she'd believed him. Now that they were married and the parents to an amazing baby boy, Savannah wanted more. She'd come to the heartbreaking realization that no matter what he promised her and no matter how hard he tried there was one thing he would not and could not give her and that was his heart. But here, at Las Joyas, anything was possible, and anything could happen.

If the truth be told, Derek was not in the mood to go out for dinner, but his wife had already made reservations at a nearby restaurant. He didn't want to complain or disappoint her, again. He was determined to make the best of this week. Both he and Savannah had been drowning in a lethal dose of expectations and disappointments. He blamed himself for her unhappiness and it was time for hm to live up to his promises to her. Most times he felt as if he were tumbling down a bottomless cliff and worse yet, the nightmares of his kidnapping were back.

**Home of Dave and Fran Rossi – Evening**

Penelope had agreed to meet Sam later for dinner but for now, she'd sought solace in the home of the woman who'd been a second mother to her. Her mind had been on Derek all day and she had to admit that her earlier conversation with JJ haunted her. She had to move on with her life, she had to admit that it didn't matter how she felt for Derek, she had to let him go.

Fran watched as Penelope doted over Hank. The baby seemed to be as connected to Penelope as much as her son was. For the life of her, Fran didn't understand what had caused them to choose a path that had led them away from each other. Fran couldn't help but believe that her son had run from happiness, the happiness that he was certain he didn't deserve. So, with a new awakening after his kidnapping, Derek had surprised them all when he proposed to her now daughter-in-law, Savannah.

"You're good with him."

"Who me? Well, he's good _for_ me. He's so much like Derek."

"That he is. It's like looking at my son all over again."

"So, have you heard from Derek since he's been gone?" Penelope asked.

Penelope laid the sleeping Hank in his crib and the two women headed out of the nursery.

"Derek called once they landed."

"Fran, don't you think it's odd that they just decided at the last minute to take off. I mean with Hank being so young and…"

Fran wrapped her arms around the younger woman pulling her into the kitchen.

"You know how committed my son is in making this…_his_ marriage work with Savannah."

"Of course, I do. It just seems…"

"Let it go."

Fran filled the tea kettle and placed it on the stove.

"What?"

"Let it go, Penelope. For whatever reason Derek chose to marry Savannah and you stood by and let him."

"Fran!"

"Don't Fran me, young lady! You love my son and my son loves you! She used the oldest trap in the book to hook him and it worked."

"Now what do I do?"

"You move on. What's done is done. You deserve to be happy, Penelope. Besides, what about that tall drink of water you've been dating for the last couple years? I see how he looks at you?"

"And how is that, pray-tell?"

"The same way my son does, that's how!"

**La Rosa Grande Restaurante – Havana, Cuba – Evening**

The warm night air felt good as Derek and Savannah walked toward the large courtyard that led to one of Havana's most popular eateries. It was busy but the staff managed to make them feel comfortable and without confirming their reservation the host escorted them quickly to their table. Waiting patiently as the couple got comfortable, he then handed them menus and promised to return shortly.

"This place is really nice. Did your travel agent recommend it?"

"No, uh not exactly. A friend told me about it. So, I thought it couldn't hurt, right?"

"Sure. So, did your _friend _suggest anything from the menu?"

"Just that everything is good, especially the seafood."

"Well seafood it is."

The evening progressed along with more small talk, with both Derek and Savannah careful not to step on the eggshells that had the power of land mines if great care was not taken. Just before their food came, the band began to play a familiar song. Derek stood and held out his hand. Savannah placed her hand in his and joined him on the dance floor.

Armando watched the couple as they danced slowly. The man held her close as he whispered in her ear. The jealousy that rumbled in his heart was tempered only by the far away look in her eyes. She seemed sad but perhaps that part was just hopeful thinking. Still, Armando continued to watch them…her. It had been almost two years since he'd seen her last. She had surprised him with her phone call the day before pleading to him for refuge. He would never refuse her, never tell her, no. He had to make things right even though they had promised each other to keep their distance. There was so much for both to lose but love had a strange way of giving you the courage to risk it all.

**The House of Langston Restaurant – Washington, DC – Evening –**

Penelope had to admit she was impressed that Sam had made reservations at one of the most expensive restaurants in town. She'd been curious but she wasn't quite ready to spend half of her monthly earnings to eat there. She was also impressed that he'd suddenly decided to act on impulse and without her prompting he'd chosen a place that she'd been talking about for months. She wasn't sure what had brought it on, and she wasn't going to ask.

As usual, he was early and already seated and well into his first martini. He stood just as she made it to the table. He was indeed a tall drink of water, Fran was right. He kissed her politely on the cheek and after taking her seat the hostess handed her a menu.

"You look ravishing tonight, Penelope."

"Ravishing, huh? Well you don't look too bad yourself, Sam!"

"Why, thank you. So, how was your day?"

"It was good. The rest of the team and I surprisingly got the week off."

"Well, how'd you manage that?"

"Derek requested the week off to go away with Savannah and the director decided we all needed a break, especially after that last case."

"That's great! Maybe I can take a few days off and you and I can go up to my cabin for a few days."

"Your cabin? As in the woods surrounded by bears and wolves and snakes? Thank you, Sweetheart, but no thanks."

"Ah come on, Pen where's your sense of adventure?"

"With what I do and see every day that's enough adventure for me."

"Well then, how about a few days in Jamaica?"

"Now that I can do! When do we leave?"

Sam smiled as he reached across the table for her hand. He wanted her more than any woman on earth and he'd nearly given up on them. The last few months had been rocky but with her agreeing to go away with him gave him hope.

**La Rosa Grande Restaurante- Havana –**

Derek and Savannah had managed to get through dinner. The food was amazing and holding her on the dance floor felt like old times. He longed for the early days of them when he'd been so determined to win her heart. He wanted to forget his feelings for Penelope and Savannah had been a challenge unlike the other women he had dated. Penelope had chosen Sam and she seemed happy so he had to learn to be happy for her but that was easier said than done. He was tired of losing and even more tired of failing in relationships and so he made a grand declaration when it seemed that failure was eminent.

"_I'll do whatever it takes to be with you."_

"Derek?"

His mind was a million miles away as he swayed back and forth with her held close to his body.

"Derek, are you okay?"

"Yeah, baby I'm fine. Why?"

"You seemed so far away."

"I'm right hear." Then pulling her tighter. "When I said that earlier, I meant it. Savannah I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm right here, with you."

She nodded against his chest as she closed her eyes fighting the tears that she'd held tightly in their place. This was no time for tears, later perhaps but not now.

Armando continued to watch the two as they paid their bill and walked together from the restaurant. He'd made sure that neither of them saw him although secretly he wished they had. He'd pay them a visit later but for now he had to be patient.


	3. Chapter 3

**Cuba – Morning – **

Savannah slowly eased her way out of the bed and headed toward the bathroom. Last night was amazing and Derek had made love to her as if he really loved only her, but she knew better. He wanted to believe and more than that, she knew that he wanted her to believe that their marriage stood a chance. She'd convinced him that they needed this week alone together, but she was afraid not even a tropical getaway would be enough.

Just as she reached the bathroom door, she turned back to glance at the man who had meant everything to her. He was a good man and he had done the best he could to fight the demons that told him that he could never be truly happy. He'd saved so many others, but it was a shame that he wasn't able to save himself.

**Quantico, VA – 2 Days later – Afternoon**

**Home of Dave and Fran Rossi –**

Dave had enjoyed the last few days home with his wife. It had been too long, and it took this down time to realize how much he needed a break from the demanding and horrific things he and the others experienced each day. The constant smile on Fran's face and the extra perks of being married to an amazing woman, confirmed for him that she felt the same way. Having their grandson under the same roof was an extra blessing and it no doubt would be hard to give him back to his parents at the end of the week.

Savannah pulled up the long circular driveway and killed the engine. Her plans for a romantic week with Derek had come to an unexpected halt and now she was here to retrieve her son from his grandparents. She knew there would be questions and she had prepared herself the best she could. As she climbed the steps, she took a deep breath and waited.

Dave and Fran exchanged puzzled looks as he headed toward the front door. They weren't expecting company and salesmen had long learned not to waste their time coming by. Peering through the peephole Dave quickly opened the door.

"Savannah?"

"Dave, what are you doing here?"

"I live here. Why wouldn't I be here?"

"But…"

Dave ushered her inside just as Fran joined them in the foyer.

"Well hello, Savannah. I didn't think you'd be home until Sunday; it's only Thursday."

"I took an earlier flight since Derek…Dave I don't understand, why didn't you go with the rest of the team?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Derek got a call and he said that you all had a case and that he had to leave."

"No. We're off for the week."

"Wait, I don't understand?"

"Start from the beginning."

"Two days ago…"

"Two days? Are you telling me that you haven't seen my son in two days?" Fran interrupted.

"He got a call and he said he had to leave for a case. He packed his bags and rushed out. He told me to stay for the rest of the vacation and he'd call me later."

"We didn't get a case and that doesn't sound like Derek."

**Home of Penelope Garcia – Afternoon –**

It had taken Sam two days to pull it together for their mini vacation; not too bad for a man that didn't have a spontaneous bone in his body…he was learning, slowly but he was learning. The closer it got to their departure the more excited she was. That surprised her given the fact that she'd been overly concerned with the reality that Derek had suddenly left the country to spend time with his wife. He'd been so unhappy, and she was ashamed to admit it, but she wondered and even hoped that maybe this was something that they wouldn't recover from. But now here she was packing to go away with Sam to one of the most romantic places on earth and she was giddy.

Just as she managed to get the over-stuffed bag closed and locked her cell phone went off. She assumed it was Sam calling to let her know he was on his way to pick her up. It was JJ instead.

"Well hello Blondie!"

"Hey Garcia…"

"I wish I could talk but Sam's going to be here any minute and I..."

"Garcia…"

"Jamaica! Can you believe it?"

"GARCIA!'

"What? JJ what's going on?"

"Something's happened…Morgan is missing."

**BAU Headquarters – later**

"Okay Savannah, start from the beginning."

The team had all gathered at the BAU to begin the hunt for Morgan. None of them saw this coming and Savannah seemed shaken at the thought that Derek could be missing.

"Do you think this could have anything to do with his kidnapping almost two years ago?" Savannah asked.

"We won't know until we begin to gather the details. Now please take us back to the beginning when you two arrived in Cuba." Hotch urged.

"We took a cab to the resort and we checked into our room."

"Did anything seem odd? Was there anyone following you or watching you?"

"I don't know, I don't think so. We were just two people on vacation. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary."

"When did you see Derek last?" Rossi asked.

"Tuesday morning. We were getting ready to go out for the day and his cell phone rang. I knew it was one of you because of the ring tone."

"He looked at me and said he had a case."

"Didn't you think that was odd since you two were on vacation?"

"Yes! Yes, in fact, I asked him about it. He said that the message said that the case was bad, and it even had an apology for interrupting our stay."

"The first thing we need to do is find out who sent that message. Garcia…"

"On it!"

Garcia rushed from the room and headed to her lair. Something was off. There was no way any of them sent that message so why did Derek think it was from them?

"Savannah, how did Derek get to the airport?" Reid asked.

"What?"

"The airport, how did Derek get to the airport?"

"I-I'm not sure a taxi, I guess. I was pretty upset with him and we said our goodbyes in the room."

"We need to get to Cuba. I'll call the director and have him clear it."

Hotch pulled his phone from his pocket while the others rushed from the room. Savannah watched them leave as she slowly made her exit. Now was not the time for her to lose her focus or fall apart. Everything depended on it.

**Las Joyas Resort - Santa Maria Del Mar, Cuba – Two days ago (Tuesday) Morning – (Flashback)**

_Things had been going better than expected and both she and Derek seemed committed to making the best of their time together. Savannah was happy that Derek had been so attentive to her and he'd made love to her the night before like he used to when they were first together. She appreciated his efforts, dinner, moonlight walk on the beach, she felt like a newlywed. Still she had other things on her mind as she pulled her phone from her purse._

"_Cara mia, I was wondering when you would call."_

"_Of course, you knew I would call you, mi amor."_

"_I saw you last night, still just as beautiful as the last time we were together."_

"_Where did you see us?"_

"_At the restaurant. I could barely stop myself from snatching you out of his arms when you were dancing."_

"_Armando."_

"_I know, I know. He's your husband but it doesn't change how I feel about you."_

"_Nor how I feel about you, but it has to be this way."_

"_Then of all the places in the world, why did you choose Cuba, especially Santa Maria if you didn't want to see me or at least remember our times here?"_

"_I was my happiest here with you. If only things had been different."_

"_Does he know?"_

"_Know what?"_

"_The baby. Does he know?"_

"_Hank means everything to Derek. It would destroy him if he…"_

"_Where is your husband now?"_

"_He went for a run on the beach. He'll be back soon."_

"_Are you sure about that?"_

"_Armando!"_

"_Just say the word and I will make him disappear then you me and our son will live happily ever after."_

_Then the sound of the patio door made her jump._

"_Savannah! Baby, I'm back!"_

"_He's here. I've got to go."_

"_When can I see you?"_

"_It's impossible…I-I want to see you, but I don't know…"_

"_Baby?"_

_Derek noticed his wife slide the phone into her bag. _

"_Who were you talking to?"_

"_I was just calling to check on our son."_

"_Why didn't you wait for me?"_

"_I was getting anxious, forgive me?"_

_Derek leaned down and kissed her lovingly on the lips._

"_Of course, I forgive you."_

_She smiled and watched him, glistening and sweaty from his run, she still loved him, loved how he so desperately wanted to love her. It was in his eyes, the regret, the determination and the sorrow all doing battle to win supremacy over him. She knew she'd play a part in his demise and for that her heart broke for him. _

_END OF FLASHBACK…_

**BAU Headquarters – Present –**

It was all she could do to keep the tears from blurring her vision as she desperately searched for him. Penelope knew too much about what evil could do and what inhumane things humans did to each other. She wondered what had happened to him and now she knew that the uneasy feeling she'd had in the pit of her stomach all week wanted to pull her into a deep dark pit of dread. Derek had endured the unthinkable almost two years ago and she and the others still wondered how he'd survived with his sanity intact. He managed to literally crawl out with his life, beaten, and tortured to find happiness now with Savannah and their son. How would he fare if he was required to do it all again? Most people couldn't survive it even once, let alone twice.

"_He's going to be okay; he's going to be okay; he's going to be okay…"_

**Unknown Location – Havana, Cuba – Present –**

He slowly pulled himself to his feet. It was pitch black but even in the darkness he could tell that the room was small, half the size of a bedroom. He hated the dark and he hated small rooms, so he needed to find a way out. He was hungry and thirsty too and since he'd been brought here, he hadn't seen anyone.

Derek ran his hand over the wall tracing his surroundings with his fingers trying to find a weak spot, a door, a window, anything that would give him a hint of hope. By now Savannah would be worried about him. He had made plans to surprise her with a special dinner on the beach. Somehow things had gone terribly wrong and now, he was here alone and with no way to let his wife and his family know where is was and that he was alive.

"Hello!"

Derek began pounding his fist against the wall that felt as if it were made of brick or cement.

"HELLO! SOMEBODY!"

There was no answer just the sound of his voice bouncing off the walls with a thud.

"You can't keep me here! I'm a federal agent with the US government! Let me OUT!"

Then suddenly, the door sprang open and the light from the small narrow hallway illuminated the room in golden muted light. Instinctively, Derek took a step back, his body hitting the wall. A well-dressed man stepped into the room and Derek could see that there were at least two other men in the hallway.

"Why am I here? Where's my wife?"

"So many questions…all in due time."

"I'm an agent with the US government! You can't keep me here!"

A wide grin spread across the face of the man as he shot a quick glance at the others.

"I know exactly who you are agent Morgan."


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm an agent with the US government! You can't keep me here!"

A wide grin spread across the face of the man as he shot a quick glance at the others.

"I know exactly who you are agent Morgan."

Derek tried to hide his surprise and the dread that this would become a repeat of his last kidnapping.

"Who are you? Why'd you bring me here?"

"Let's just say, I have an assignment for you, Agent."

"I'm not doing anything for you! Now, let me go."

"I was quite disappointed that a man in your line of work would marry and have a child."

"If you touch my family, I'll kill you!"

"Your family is safe, for now at least. In fact, your beautiful wife is home with your adorable baby son. My he looks so much like you."

Derek lunged at the man wrapping his hands around his neck and slamming him into the wall.

"If…you…dare…touch my son, my wife…"

The man struggled against Derek's grip; the other men squeezed into the small room to free the man.

"Get…him…off…me!" he choked.

Derek was determined to choke the life from the man's body. The other's struggled to pull him away but Derek's grip only tightened around the man's neck. He could feel his adversary weakening as he pressed harder. Then suddenly he felt a sharp prick against his neck and almost immediately he felt himself getting weaker until things became hazy and his knees gave out sending him crashing to the floor. The last thing Derek heard was the man coughing and gasping as he sent his foot into his chest with a force that defied his size. Then everything around him morphed into a black cloud.

**Home of Dave and Fran Rossi – **

Fran waited impatiently for Dave to call with an update about Derek. Savannah's story seemed off somehow. Call it a mother's intuition or the fact that she'd never really connected with woman, but something was off. It was in her eyes, the fact that she hadn't really looked any of them in the eyes for more than two seconds. Who knows maybe she'd been married to a profiler too long or heard too many of his stories from cases past whatever it was, something wasn't quite right, and she wouldn't rest until she found out what it was that Savannah was keeping from them.

"_Please God bring my son home. I can't lose him; I can't lose him."_

**Unknown Location – Cuba **

Derek opened his eyes still feeling the effects of the drug that had prevented him from killing his captor. He'd been moved to another room, larger and brightly lit and his hands and feet were bound to a steel armed chair. At least it wasn't an oversized wooden cross like the last time he thought. He knew it would be futile, but he tried pulling against the restraints. The pain confirmed that his assumptions were correct.

"Glad to see you're awake, agent."

Derek remained silent as the man whom he'd tried to kill earlier stepped from the far corner of the room. Derek tried his restraints again for good measure.

"Please, relax you're not going to be able to free yourself."

Then the door opened, and the other two men walked in and stood on each side of the man. Derek shook his head trying to clear his vision from the last remaining effects of the drug.

"It's been two days, I'm sure you must be thirsty and hungry. After all, we did interrupt your dinner plans the other evening."

Derek remembered them both from the beach.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to come and work for me. I need a man of your skill set."

"Forget it. No chance in hell."

"Even if it means your life?"

"Go ahead, kill me. Whatever it is, I'm not interested."

"I wonder what that beautiful baby boy would say when he finds out that daddy let mommy die because he didn't' do whatever it took to save her."

Derek pulled frantically against the restraints again and again, ripping his skin until blood seeped beneath them.

"You better hope I never get free because the first thing I'm going to do is finish what I started earlier."

"No doubt agent; no doubt."

Confidently the man began pacing a small circle around Derek as he continued to struggle to break free. Then taking a stand behind Derek he placed his hands firmly on his shoulders.

"Listen to me Agent Morgan and listen carefully. I can be very persuasive and soon you will be more than willing to work for me. Yes, we are going to be great partners."

Then suddenly he released his grip on Derek and looked across at the eager men in front of Derek.

"Untie him, clean him up and feed him. We'll begin in an hour."

"Yes Sir." They answered in unison.

**BAU Headquarters – Evening –**

"Do you believe her?"

JJ and Reid watched Savannah from the bullpen as she paced back and forth in Rossi's office. Derek's office was off limits just in case there was possible evidence there.

"I'm not sure what to believe." Reid answered.

"I can't tell if that's nerves or fear for her husband."

"I don't want to think that Savannah has done something to Derek, but spouses are always the first persons we look at in situations like this."

"I'm sure you have statistics for this sort of thing."

"I do but I…"

"Yeah, I know; I know."

"If something has happened to him JJ, I'm not sure…"

"Don't go there, Spence. We'll find him. We have to find him."

Savannah paced back and forth in Dave's office checking her watch every few minutes. She had to remain calm but not too calm and her story and answers to their questions had to remain consistent. She needed to see Hank, to hold him in her arms. Everything was for him and their future. Armando had made promises too and she would make sure that whatever happened her son would be safe.

She wondered where Derek was now, what was happening to him and if he was okay. She made the call to Armando telling him that she had changed her mind, but Armando had other plans for Derek and not even she could stop him.

"_He's going to be okay; he's going to be okay."_

**Las Hoyas Resort – Cuba – 2 nights ago…FLASHBACK**

_Over the past few days, Derek felt that he and Savannah had turned a corner and were headed in a good direction. Their time at the resort was just what they needed and to show his wife that he appreciated her for insisting that they come, he'd planned a romantic dinner for the two of them._

_The private beach area that came with their casita was a perfect location for what he had planned. He'd sent her to spend a few hours at the resort's spa giving him time to set things up for the evening. Earlier in the day he'd gone down to the resort boutique and purchased the most amazing dress and arranged for flowers to be delivered. Everything was perfect and as he watched the catering staff putting the final touches on things he thought of Penelope._

_Savannah marveled at the sight of the beautiful canape decorated with tropical flowers and tiny hanging lights. She could smell the food from the door as she entered, and her heart leaped. If only…_

_So handsome, she thought as she admired Derek dressed in a black tuxedo with his back still to her. She smiled watching as he inspected the tables, then the bucket of champagne nearby. She softly ran her hands over the dress that he'd bought her earlier and had delivered to the spa. He'd gotten it right and she loved it. _

_She reached the patio door just as he turned to face her. His smile drew her outside and she could tell even from a distance that he approved of what he saw. He seemed so happy…_

_Derek was blown away at the sight of Savannah standing in the doorway of their casita. It took him back to the first time he'd laid eyes on her. She was beautiful then; she was even more beautiful now. He was glad that he had decided to come with her here and again he felt hopeful. _

_Savannah saw the two men before he did. Derek never stood a chance against the men who each were twice his size. Even though the sudden attack blindsided him he fought with all his might. He yelled for her to run, to get help but she just stood there watching as they overpowered him. Then, when he lay still on the sand, she simply closed the glass door and turned away._

"_Goodbye, Derek…I'm sorry…" FLASHBACK ENDS._

**BAU Headquarters – Present – **

"Savannah? Savannah!"

"Yes, I'm sorry…I was just…"

JJ stepped fully into the office and closed the door.

"It's okay. How are you holding up?"

"I can't believe this is happening, JJ. Why Derek? He doesn't deserve this!"

"Listen, why don't you go home and see Hank, I'm sure he'd love to see his mommy."

"Maybe you're right. I miss him so much."

Savannah quickly gathered her things.

"If you hear anything, please call me, promise!"

"I promise. Just get some rest and kiss Hank for me."

Savannah hugged JJ tightly and headed toward the door then turned back toward the agent.

"Derek is lucky to have you, all of you."

**Unknown Location – Cuba – Present –**

Derek was grateful for the sandwiches and water he'd been given. He was also grateful for the few minutes of freedom from the bindings around his wrist. His white shirt stained with his blood and ripped from the fight two nights earlier. His mind was clear from the drugs now and the memories of what had happened was his only company now. He had no idea what was in store for him it was only a matter of time before the men returned.

The door opened and he tried in vain to stand but his ankles were still securely bound to the chair. He was surprised to see the young woman; she was no more than twenty and she carried a bowl of water with towels draped across her arms.

"Hello, I'm here to attend to your wounds."

"Please, help me. I don't belong here."

"I'm sorry, senor I'm just here to dress the wounds on your wrist before they become infected."

"No, you don't understand, I have a family; a wife and a son."

"Senior, please hold still or the others will come, and they will not be kind."

Gently she cleaned the places on his wrists that had been rubbed raw by his struggles. She quickly glanced at him as he winced under her care. He needed her help beyond the first aid, but he wasn't sure she would be willing to defy the others. As her work neared completion he tried again.

"Please help me. Help me get back to my family."

Without responding the woman stood to leave gathering her things. Derek grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Don't go!"

"Please senior, let me go!"

"At least tell me your name! I'm Derek, Derek Morgan I'm an FBI agent and I don't belong here!"

"Senior, I can't help you! Now let me go!"

Derek didn't want to hurt her he just needed her to listen. He released her and watched her continue toward the door.

"Rafael, open the door!"

Then turning back toward Derek as the door opened, he was stunned by the face that stared back at him. Youthful and beautiful and eerily void of emotion. A man, Rafael stepped inside.

"He's ready for you now."

There would be no help from her today, perhaps never. Rafael, at least he had one name, that was something he supposed. He watched Rafael approach pulling a syringe from his pocket and smiling at him as he aimed it at Derek.

"No! You don't have to do this!"

Derek knew she was watching, still refusing to help him. It didn't matter how much he had pleaded for reason. He felt the needle prick and break his skin. The drug rushing through his veins made him relax almost immediately.

He thought of the dinner he had planned for Savannah, the flowers that had cost him a small fortune. She looked amazing in the red dress, and he loved how it hugged every inch of her body. Her smile, the expression on her face told him that she was impressed by what he had done.

As the drug took complete control, he remembered her watching as he was knocked to the ground, he screamed for her to run for help, but she didn't she just watched. Just as he closed his eyes, he remembered her waving goodbye.

"_Savannah, why?"_


	5. Chapter 5

"How is our guest?"

Armando motioned for his daughter to enter. She did and took the seat across from him.

"Pleading for help. I suppose he expected a poor young girl would help him when the men would not." She chuckled.

"I've always dreamed of having a son to run the business when I'm gone but I wonder if there has ever been a man born more capable than you, Amelia."

"Thank you, father. I know how important all of this is to you. I want to make you proud."

"You already have, you already have."

"So, what's next?"

"I need someone to keep an eye on things in America."

"How about Rafael?"

"Rafael is busy here doing what he does best."

"I need someone I can trust to make the tough decisions if something goes wrong."

"Si, Papa. When do I leave?"

"First thing tomorrow morning."

Amelia wanted to stay but for her father, she'd go to the ends of the Earth. She'd keep an eye on his business in the states, she'd make sure that his enemies would not get too comfortable in his absence and she wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who threatened what they had worked so hard for, especially the woman whom her father had become infatuated with long ago even before she was born.

**BAU Headquarters – Quantico, VA – **

It had taken a lot of convincing but Hotch had finally gotten the director to approve their trip to Cuba. Relations with the US and Cuba were rocky at best and the director had to make it clear that the BAU was only coming on a fact-finding mission and nothing else. Cuba had assigned one of their agents to monitor their actions while they were there.

Penelope had tried in vain to get permission to join the others but with no luck. So, while she watched her team head toward the elevators, she prayed that they would find Derek soon and bring him home.

"_Hold on baby boy, hold on."_

The team quickly loaded on the jet and readied for take-off. None of them wanted to speak out loud what was on their minds. They'd all watched from a far while Derek struggled to recover from his last kidnaping. He'd refused their visits and their words of comfort. He needed to prove that he was fine and that what had happened to him had not beat him. If the last time had proven anything to them it was that Derek Morgan, the man who'd saved them all on more occasions than any of them could remember, was not invincible and he was not made of steel. What was happening to him now and why? Only time would tell.

**Unknown Location – Cuba – **

The murmuring of voices woke Derek. He was strapped face down on a long table with a large bright light overhead. Lifting his head slightly, he counted four; two men and two women all dressed in pale green scrubs. Each one had the bottom half of their faces covered with surgical masks and none of them had noticed that he was awake. He pulled against the cloth restraints and again he could not free himself.

"You're awake."

Raphael was the only one of the four that Derek recognized from earlier. The other three quickly joined him as they all looked down on him.

"What's going on?"

"Just relax, this won't take long."

"Please, whatever you're planning, you won't get away with it."

The larger of the two women handed Raphael a large syringe and stepped back next to the other woman.

"No, don't do…"

"Just relax…just relax…this will be over before you know it."

**Policia Nacional Revolucionaria – Havana, Cuba – Evening**

It was late when the team arrived at the Central Police Station. It was extremely busy with officers scrambling around dodging members of the press who were obviously not welcomed. No one seemed to notice or care that they had arrived. So, for a moment the team stood and watched the chaos until they realized that most of the crowd had gathered around two large screens mounted on the far wall.

"You must be the agents from the US."

None of them had seen the distinguished looking man approach from behind.

"Yes, SSA Aaron Hotchner, SSA's Rossi, Jaureau, and Dr. Reid."

"Commander Arturo Rosales. Please we can get acquainted later. Come, come, I know you're here to find your comrade but perhaps we can help each other."

"Of course."

The team quickly followed the man toward the crowd.

_NEWS BROADCAST…_

…_The city of Havana has been rocked by the murder of one it's most beloved and respected citizens. Mauricio Hidalgo, businessman and philanthropist was gunned down this morning while attending the baptism of his niece at St. Mary's Cathedral in the city center. Hidalgo, the man known for funding dozens of schools across Cuba and other Latin American countries made his fortune in land development and textiles. _

_Known as an outspoken opponent of organized crime, Hidalgo recently announced his candidacy for Mayor of Havana, promising to run on a platform of zero tolerance on crime especially, drugs and prostitution. Many of Hidalgo's supporters feared that his outspokenness would endanger his life. Sadly, they were right when he was senselessly killed doing what he loved most and that was spending time with family._

_Police are interviewing witnesses as we speak; putting together an artist's rendering of the man described as tall, and well-built with a scar over his left eye. The man is said to be heavily armed and authorities are warning the public to exercise caution and should they see him to please contact the police immediately._

As the broadcast continued to play, Commander Rosales directed Hotch and the others to a small room that had been set up for them.

"That broadcast has been playing most of the day. We've gotten hundreds of calls since the killing happened this morning."

"We normally aren't called in unless…"

"Yes, I know agent, unless it's a serial crime."

"That's correct."

"This is the third murder like this; Prominent person, attending a public event with lots of witnesses, a gunman walks up to the victim and shoots him point blank then fleeing the scene. No masks and no concern about being seen or caught. Then the body of the assailant is found two or three days later with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head."

"We'll do whatever we can to help. With this going on, we appreciate you allowing us to be here."

"Of course, when it comes to the lives of innocent people, we need to put our political differences aside."

"Agreed."

**Location Unknown – **

"It's hard to imagine something so small can make a man do anything against his will."

Raphael held a small rectangular-shaped object between his fingers, carefully examining it as he turned it from side to side. The woman on the other side of the surgical table watched while an unconscious Derek Morgan lay face down unaware that in a matter of minutes his life would change forever.

"What happens to him after…"

"Paulina, please don't tell me your getting soft on me."

"Of course not, it just seems pointless to make a man kill only to kill himself. We've done these three times now and the time it takes us to ready another assassin we could have used the same one over again."

"In theory you're correct but unfortunately, with each job, the effectiveness of the microchip lessons and after a while our subjects will begin to fight the commands and eventually will be immune to its affect."

"I understand. So, these men are collateral damage."

"Exactly! Now, let's get started…scalpel."

**Police Station – Cuba –**

"How are we supposed to help them and find Derek at the same time?" Dave began.

"I don't know but I have a feeling that if we don't, we won't get very far in our search."

"Well clearly they have a serial killer on their hands." JJ added.

"Yeah and one who wants everybody to know he's out there." Reid concluded.

"But why? What would make a man approach his target in broad open daylight, and kill in front of dozens of witnesses?" JJ asked.

"That's what we need to find out and fast. We'll need to split up. Dave you and JJ go to the resort where Morgan and Savannah were staying and Reid you and I will stay here and look for a way to find a killer before he strikes again."

MEANWHILE…

Jonas Winebush had served his country well. He'd taken pride in being a US Navy seal for the last seventeen years that included three tours in Afghanistan and several covert ops in Iran. Now all he wanted was a vacation, some peace and quiet and a friend had told him about a little tropical hideaway outside of Havana.

His head was hurting, and he'd never suffered from migraines until now. The last two days had kept him bedridden until earlier this morning when he felt compelled to leave for a walk. As he slowly turned the key and stumbled into his room he couldn't remember where he had gone. He was sweating and out of breath as if he'd run for miles. He closed the door and leaned his body against it trying to steady himself before going any further.

Jonas was a good soldier, obedient and never questioned authority. His lifelong dream was to serve his country and to be a hero. Slowly the decorated officer walked to the bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Running his fingers across the long scar over his left eye he remembered the little girl whose life he'd saved and somehow the scar felt more like a badge of honor.

Then without another thought Jonas pulled a gun from his holster that was hidden under his jacket and with a steady and determined hand placed the gun to his temple and without blinking pulled the trigger.

**Unknown Location – Cuba**

Derek woke up on a small cot back in the small dark room where he'd been brought after his abduction. His head was hurting and running his hand across his neck he felt something, tape and gauze. Then he remembered the needle and being strapped to a table; he didn't want to think about what had been done to him.

The door opened and Raphael and the other man who was obviously in charge stepped inside. Derek watched them both as they came closer.

"What did you do to me?"

"We made you…useful."

"What?"

"I told you earlier, that I have work for you to do. We're going to be great partners."

"And I told you, that I'm not going to work for you!"

Suddenly a piercing pain shot through Derek's temple knocking him on his back.

"You see what happens when you defy me, Agent Morgan?"

"Ahhh! Stop! Why are you doing this to me?"

"You have a mission. As much as you want to believe that you have a choice, I control you now. Every action and feeling…you belong to me."

"No! I don't care if you kill me…"

The pain hit him again and again.

"Stand!"

Derek was on his feet without hesitation. He didn't know how it happened, if he did, he would have fought the command but here he was standing at attention on his feet in spite of the pain raging in his head.

"Good, very good."

Then looking at Raphael, Armando nodded.

"Give him the gun."

Raphael handed Derek a gun.

"Take it."

Again, Derek followed orders and took the gun.

"Now, place the gun to your head."

Derek felt the nuzzle against his temple.

"Very good, agent. Now, pull the trigger!"

Derek's hand trembled ever so slightly as his finger wrapped itself around the trigger and just as he was commanded, he pulled the trigger.


	6. Chapter 6

Family Matters Chapter Six

Raphael firmly grabbed Derek's wrist and pulled the gun away from his head, his finger still wrapped around the trigger pulling. The clicking sound evidence that their work had been achieved. Armando nodded but the frown on his face showed disapproval.

"What's wrong Jefe?"

"He trembled."

"He pulled the trigger."

"His hand trembled! He's fighting!"

"With all due respect, he can't fight! The chip won't allow him to fight."

"Yes, yes, but somehow he's fighting! Fix it!"

"How? If I increase the frequency it could kill him before he gets a chance to complete the mission."

"FIX IT!"

"Yes Jefe, I'll fix it."

Raphael watched Armando storm from the room. He knew not to question the man who'd kill anyone who stood in his way. Working for the man had made even Raphael quite wealthy and he'd learned a long time ago not to question him, ever.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll not fight, do you understand? They all fight, all of them before you fought and none of them were strong enough!"

Morgan stood unmoving and unaffected by the conversation that had just gone on before him. He didn't flinch, he hadn't been given permission to flinch and so he stood as if he had not heard a word from his new masters.

"Now let's try again!"

**Las Joyas Resort – Santa Maria Del Mar, Cuba – Morning –**

"I don't know how we're going to find Derek and solve a serial murder all at the same time."

JJ was frustrated even after a night's sleep she wasn't optimistic and no matter what Dave had to say, she knew he wasn't either.

"Let's just do what we can. Bottom line, none of us are leaving this island without Derek. Damn anything else!"

For the next hour or so, Dave and JJ interviewed the management and staff at the resort. The Cuban authorities had called ahead of their arrival to approve the visit and to order everyone to cooperate with the American agents. All the stories were consistent, and it was clear that if there was a conspiracy against Derek, it had nothing to do with the resort or its management.

What was also clear was that Savannah knew more than she was telling them. Derek had not checked out of the hotel; he'd never requested transportation to the airport and none of the security footage showed him leaving the hotel on the day Savannah says he left to meet the team. The disappearance of their friend had been carefully planned and pulled off. Why would Savannah take part and what did she have to gain by eliminating Derek?

**Home of Dave and Fran Rossi – Morning -**

Savannah had been extremely quiet since coming by the house the night before. That in itself wasn't odd, she had to be consumed with worry but what was odd was the time she spent on the phone, whispering and careful not to let Fran overhear her conversations. Fran watched how the woman doted over her son and seemed eager to leave the mansion.

"Savannah, you know you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like. No one should be alone at a time like this."

"Thank you, Fran. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you and Dave for watching little Hank for us."

"We're family. That's what family does. We watch out for each other."

"Well, I never had much family, so this is all a little overwhelming for me."

"Get used to it because we aren't going anywhere. Hank is our grandson and we love him."

"He loves you all too."

Savannah gathered the rest of Hanks things while Fran lifted the baby from his swing. As they headed toward the front door, Fran hugged him tight and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"He reminds me so much of Derek when he was a baby." Then, "Grandma's going to miss you little one."

Savannah turned toward the older woman and smiled watching how she doted over her son. She envied Derek and what he had. The love that was so easily showered on him was foreign to her. Soon she would be in the comfort of a new home a place that held great promise for a bright future for her and her and Hank; a place where none of them, Fran, her daughters nor the team would ever see her or her son again.

Fran watched sadly as Savannah strapped Hank into his car seat. She seemed in a hurry checking her watch and nervously throwing her things in the trunk of the car. Then without so much as a final goodbye the woman was gone, backing down the driveway and within seconds out of sight.

**Las Joyas Resort – **

"Excuse me, por favor Senor y Senora."

Dave and JJ turned and was met by a woman dressed in a housekeeping uniform. She seemed nervous but anxious to speak with them.

"Yes." Dave answered.

"I was on my break when you arrived, but I think I might have something."

"Sure, what is it?" JJ asked.

Looking around nervously she beckoned for them to follow her. At the end of the main hall she fished a key from her pocket and unlocked a storage room and step inside. Once they were inside, she quickly closed the door.

"What's this about?" Dave asked.

"I remember the beautiful couple. They seemed troubled when they arrived."

"They were here to work on their marriage. Sort of a second honeymoon."

"Hmmph! Well, maybe he was working on the marriage but the woman, she had other plans."

"What do you mean?" JJ asked.

"I saw her with another man."

"Can you describe him?"

"Of course, but he is very well known here. It was Senior Armando Villanuevo. He's a very wealthy businessman in Cuba."

"What would Savannah be doing with a man like that?" Dave wondered.

"After the woman checked out, I went to clean the villa. I found a suitcase of men's clothing stuffed in the trash bin outside."

"Men's clothing, are you sure?"

"Si Senor. Nice things. I thought how odd, wasteful…It would take me months to be able to buy such things for my husband."

"Where are the clothes now?" Dave asked.

The woman stepped aside and opened a large cardboard box.

"I put them here. I thought if no one asked about them, I'd take them home to my husband, you know. It's against the rules but I don't make a lot of money and besides…we all do it. Tourists forget things all the time…I'm sorry…I"

"Hey, no worries. We won't tell. Can we at least look through the clothes? Maybe it will tell us what happened to our friend."

"Si Senior. Take your time, I'll be back in a little while."

"Thank you."

**Coroner's Office – **

A body had been found in an alley roughly two miles from where the last victim had been killed. The body matched the description of the suspected shooter. Hotch and Reid arrived at the coroner's office hopeful that this would bring them close to the answers they needed to close the case.

Dr. Miranda Luna beckoned the two in. She'd been alerted that they were coming and instructed to cooperate fully.

"Please agents, come in."

"Thank you. What can you tell us about this man?"

The coroner pulled the white sheet back to expose the body fully.

"Cause of death is a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Time of death is roughly between nine p.m. and midnight last night."

"He matches the description of our shooter, but why would he commit suicide?" Reid wondered.

"Was there any I.D. on the body?" Hotch asked.

"No but we took DNA samples and are running them now. With the help of your lab back at Quantico, we should get something back soon."

"Did you run toxicology?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, we did. We found high levels of a bazaar cocktail of sedatives and hallucinogenics that were given to him over a course of a week or so and to top it off, he was restrained."

The doctor pointed to bruises on the wrists and ankles.

"He put up a fight." Reid added.

"And he lost." Hotch noted.

"There's one more thing that you may find interesting."

The doctor turned slightly and grabbed a small basin from a nearby counter. Handing it to Hotch, the three looked curiously at the small black object. Then Reid donned a pair of latex gloves and carefully picked up the tiny metal object that was no bigger than an eraser on a pencil.

"What is it, Reid?"

"It's a microchip. I've read about them, but I've never actually seen one up close. I think our victim was brainwashed."


	7. Chapter 7

**Unknown Location – Cuba –**

Armando and Raphael entered the small room where Derek laid still on a cot. Raphael had been confident that the chip he'd implanted at the base of their captive's skull was fully operational; fully capable of rendering him compliant. However, his boss took nothing for chance and perhaps that was what set him apart from other men. He exercised an overabundance of caution. Because of his caution, Raphael had relented and made an adjustment on the frequency of the chip. Raphael had created the technology several years ago and since using it on human subjects, it had not failed to control and subdue the strongest of men.

Derek Morgan was no exception. Despite what he had heard and learned about the American agent; he would not be able to break free. He belonged to Armando Villanuevo now and forever. The plans for this man were diabolical at best, worse than the other three warriors that they had created. Shortly, the poor, unsuspecting man would be sent out on his first assignment and unfortunately for him it would not be his last.

"Get up!" Armando commanded.

Slowly, Morgan rolled toward the men and stood on his feet. He was weak but he did not resist. Raphael was silently relieved.

"Very good, agent. Now it's time I tell you about your first assignment."

Morgan stood silently, waiting for instructions. Again, Raphael was relieved. He didn't want to hurt the man any more than necessary, after all, he wasn't a monster despite what some may have said about him and what he did for a living; a very lucrative living.

"Take it."

Morgan looked down at the picture in Armando's hand. Obediently, he took it fixing his eyes on the unfamiliar face.

"This is Miguel Sanchez-Arca. He is the chief prosecutor for Havana. He has made it his life's mission to uncover enough evidence to send me to prison for life. Do you understand?"

Morgan nodded.

"I didn't hear you agent. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Good, very good. Tomorrow Senior Sanchez-Arca will be giving a press conference at the steps of city hall. Several hundred people, including press and the city's top government officials will be in attendance."

Armando began pacing a small circle around Morgan who had not moved since standing.

"You will be there among the crowd. After he is introduced and steps to the podium, you are to make your way through the crowd. Make sure you are seen, then I want you to shoot him dead. Do you understand?"

"Yes, shoot him dead. I understand."

"Good, very good! Raphael will give you the rest of your instructions."

"Yes, I understand."

Armando stopped in front of Derek and looked intently into his blank eyes. He was looking for something, anything that would give him a hint of uncertainty; again, choosing caution over anything else.

"Good, good agent!"

Just before Armando left the two in the room he turned back.

"Don't let me down Agent Morgan. It would be very bad for you if you let me down. Do you understand?"

Morgan nodded silently.

"I didn't hear you. Do…you…understand?"

"Yes; yes, I understand."

Armando frowned, still not convinced that he could count on Morgan to complete his mission. Shooting a troubled look at Raphael he stepped out of the room and closed the door.

"You've got to stop fighting, do you hear me? I don't know how you're doing it, but you have to stop! He'll kill her if you don't!"

Morgan didn't respond, he simply stood in place…still holding the picture of his target in his hand.

"_Penelope…I'm sorry…"_

**BAU Headquarters – Quantico, VA – Afternoon – **

Amelia had taken her lead from her father. He was thorough, detailed and extremely careful. She'd always wanted to be like him and even at an early age, she watched his every move. Now here she was putting her training into practice. She wanted nothing more than to make him proud…even if it meant taking the life of anyone who stood to threaten what he had worked so hard for.

Amelia watched the blonde enter the building. She was beautiful just like she had been told. She had no idea that she was being watched and the fact that she wasn't trained to see danger would be her downfall. Like her father, Amelia was cautious so she took great care in not being noticed' she was also patient and when the time came, she would do what only she had the nerve to do.

Penelope had left just long enough to pick up a salad from the deli across the street. She'd started another search just before leaving and by now she hoped that she'd have an answer that would lead to Derek's whereabouts.

**Jose Marti International Airport – Havana, Cuba – Afternoon – **

He watched her approach baby in arms and pulling a small carryon behind her. Their eyes locked and even from a distance he could tell that she was pissed. She'd wanted him to send a private jet, but he needed to be careful. Should the authorities discover that she was back the story would be that she and her son were here to find her missing husband. Once he had her back at the compound, he would make it all up to her. Surely, she would forgive him; she always did.

She couldn't hide the fact that her eyes lit up at seeing him. Even though she was livid, she understood the measures he took in getting them there. First class was nice, but it wasn't the jet. She knew he was right and in the end, he was only trying to protect them. Even so, she would relish in the fact that for the next several days he would spoil her and the baby rotten.

"Mi Amor!" Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her on the cheek; once then twice. "I'm so happy to see you!"

The infant squirmed in her arms, then as if out of nowhere two women dressed in white appeared gently pulling the child from her arms. Armando saw the apprehension in her eyes as the other woman took her luggage.

"Don't worry, he's fine. This is Perla and Beatriz, the nannies. I promise nothing will happen to him."

"Senora, we will guard him with our lives."

"Armando, I…"

"Hush Savannah! You and Hank are home now, where you've always belonged; in Cuba with me."

"Yes Armando, we're home."

**BAU Headquarters – Quantico, VA – **

It was times like this that Penelope had to admit that she was the best at what she did and had to admit that she no longer regretted her seedy past as one of the world's top hackers. That reputation had led her to being employed by the U.S. government.

Her search results began to populate her screens as she stepped into her lair. One by one information filled her screens, giving her clues that could very well give them the answers they were looking for. One search stunned her momentarily making it difficult to move.

Amelia had her ways of getting what she wanted and paid to have friends in the most unusual places. One friend had been more than eager to be of assistance and as she stepped onto the elevator she smiled, remembering their first encounter.

**FLASHBACK…NEW YEAR'S EVE…TWO YEARS AGO…**

_As much as Amelia loved spending the holidays in the states, she missed being home with her family. This trip wasn't for fun and she'd assumed it was just another one of Armando Villanuevo's bouts of paranoia. She had no idea that he was merely laying the groundwork for a plan that would not take place until years later._

"_His name is Derek Morgan." She remembered her father saying. "I need to know everything there is to know about him; where he lives, his family, who means the most to him."_

"_Why, father?"_

"_He's the man that has stolen the heart of the woman I love."_

"_Oh…her? Really Papa, she's not worth it! You can have any woman in the world, why her?"_

"_Because she was mine first, but circumstances…"_

"_Like you being married to my mother? You do remember Mama, don't you?"_

"_Be careful little one, I am still your father!"_

"_I'm just worried, that's all. This woman, she is your Achilles heel; you're so careful with everything except with this! Please…"_

"_Do as I say. There will come a time when I will need to know who I'm dealing with. Perhaps Savannah will come to her senses and forget about this man, but if she doesn't, then I will do what's necessary to eliminate the competition."_

"_Yes, father."_

_So, now here she sat in an upscale restaurant near the edge of town. From what she'd found out, Mars Bistro was popular among the agents and other federal employees that worked in and around Quantico, Virginia. It didn't take long before she'd caught the eye of disheveled young man who looked terribly out of place; it was easy…too easy._

Amelia's phone ringing interrupted her thoughts which was a good thing; distractions were dangerous, and she had a lot to do before leaving the building and it was important to stay focused.

"_Where are you?"_

"Patience, lover. I'm in the lobby waiting for the elevator."

"_Good. I can't wait to see you."_

"Likewise."

His heart rate jumped, and his nerves made it impossible for him to sit still. She'd been the first woman who'd been willing to spend quality time since his breakup and he'd cherished the short time they'd spent together. If it had not been for her his New Years would have been a disaster. He felt beholden to her somehow and he'd proven to her time and time again just how much he appreciated what she had done for him…and to him on an otherwise lonely holiday evening.

There was a knock at the door of his office and he nearly tripped rushing to answer it. He didn't care that he seemed desperate; he was desperate. He needed her more than he needed anyone else and he was willing to lose his dignity if it meant spending time with her again.

He opened the door and the sight of her took his breath away.

"Amelia!"

"Hello, Kevin!"


	8. Chapter 8

Derek had no idea what time it was, but he found some comfort in the darkness and the quiet of being alone. Raphael had left several minutes ago after giving him his instructions for the next day. The alone time gave him precious moments to be himself and to have complete control of his thoughts. He had no idea what they had done to him or why. Whenever Armando and Raphael were with him, he felt helpless; no matter what he did to make sense of things and to control his mind and actions he was powerless to do so. But now as he sat in the dark, he thought of the only person who made him feel sane; the only person who'd offered him any semblance of hope…where was she now? He needed to hear her voice; she was his solace. He needed to get home to her and to his son before it was too late to protect them both.

**BAU Headquarters- Quantico, VA – **

"Hold your horses, lover, there'll be plenty of time for that later."

Amelia extricated herself from Kevin's embrace and straightened her clothes and hair.

"I'm sorry, but it's been so long. I thought you'd forgotten about me."

"You, of course not. How could I possibly forget you; especially when you have been such a big help to me and my father?"

"Is that all I am to you, Amelia; help? I thought I meant something more to you."

"Kevin, we will discuss those things later, but for now just know that I value you more than I can explain right now and who knows, perhaps we can have a future if…"

"If what?"

"If you don't fail me."

"Never Amelia. I'll do anything you ask…anything."

"Good, that's what I need to hear. For starters, tell me everything you know about Penelope Garcia."

**Police Station – Cuba – **

Garcia's name flashed across Hotch's phone just as JJ and Rossi returned. He was hopeful that she'd found something because so far, they had nothing much on their end.

"Tell me you found something, Garcia!"

"Yes, Sir and I think you might want to sit down for this."

"Go ahead, you're on speaker."

"The man that was seen talking to Savannah is Armando Villanuevo. He's made a fortune over the last twenty-five years as a Real Estate Tycoon. He's reportedly worth three billion dollars. Many believe that his real estate ventures are just fronts for his real business."

"What's that?" Hotch asked.

"He is believed to be the head of the biggest and deadliest crime syndicate in all of Latin America. He's been making major inroads in the US and Europe over the last decade as well."

"He was seen talking to Savannah, surely that was just a passing conversation, right?" Reid was hopeful.

"Unfortunately, my sweet genius it was not a passing conversation."

"What did you find, Garcia?"

"Villanuevo and Savannah go way back, they apparently met while she and her family were vacationing in Switzerland after she graduated from college. Even though he was married with children, the two have kept in contact over the years and are rumored to have been romantically involved as recent as two years ago when Savannah traveled to Cuba for a brief vacation."

"Two years, that's when she was dating…"

Rossi didn't have the heart to finish his sentence.

"Garcia have an agent pick Savannah up and bring her to the…" Hotch began.

"I can't Sir."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"She's there…in Havana…and Hotch…"

"Yeah Garcia?"

"She has Hank with her."

**Tres Verdes Estates – Late Afternoon – **

Savannah loved being back here with Armando. She'd always felt safe and untouchable with his armed guards just steps away outside. Most people would have felt uneasy or captive but not her; she loved the fact that when she was here with him, no one could break in and take her back.

The nursery was amazing. It was the size of a small apartment it made her heart swell to see how Armando had taken to fatherhood. He had made promises to her to make sure Hank wanted for nothing and that he would raise him as his son; he'd always wanted a son and Savannah was happy that she was able to provide him with one. With Derek out of the picture, Hank would be the heir to a vast fortune and everything she'd wanted to give her precious child would be possible.

While the nannies tended to little Hank, Savannah relaxed on the veranda outside her suite. Even though her nights would be spent in Armando's bed, she still was given her own wing of the main house. He'd spared no expense and great thought and care was given to her and her son's comfort.

She had to admit, that she hadn't thought much of Derek and what had happened to him since she arrived. Armando had merely assured her that things would be taken care of and that was all she needed to know. This was her world now; her life and it was going to be a good life…Armando would make sure of it.

"Wait a minute, do you think Savannah actually had something to do with Derek's disappearance?" JJ asked.

"That's exactly what I think." Hotch answered.

"That cold-hearted bitch has been playing us along! For all we know Derek is already dead!"

"NO! JJ don't say that! He can't be dead! We need to find him!"

"Calm down, Kitten. We'll find him, and that she-wolf he married and when we do, she's going to spend the rest of her life behind bars!"

Rossi began pacing, dreading the call he'd have to make to his wife. Fran would blame herself for letting Savannah leave with their grandson, even though there was no way of knowing Savannah's plans. Just as he was pulling his phone from his pocket, Penelope spoke. Another search had just been completed and more answers were within their reach.

"There's something else that's just come in."

"What do have Garcie?"

"I did some more digging on our victims in your serial murder case…"

"And?"

"In my initial search you asked me to check if they knew each other."

"Yes, and they didn't." Hotch added.

"Correct but…they all know Armando Villanuevo."

"Both cases, the serial murders and Derek's disappearance are somehow linked…Villanuevo is the common denominator."

Dave slid his phone back in his pocket; he thought it would be best to delay his call to Fran. He wasn't sure if what they'd just found out put them back at square one or close to finding out what happened to his stepson.

**BAU Headquarters – **

It was obvious to Amelia that she had struck a nerve at the mentioning of Penelope Garcia. Kevin's demeanor changed to a dark subdued anger carefully hidden as he tried to explain who the woman was without disclosing their history; he failed.

"Who is she to you, Kevin?"

"No one, just a co-worker…I-I-admire her work; that's it."

Amelia approached him lightly running her hands up and down his chest and placing her face a breath away from his lips.

"I'll ask you again; who is she?"

She felt him tremble as her hand began its journey back down his body resting on his belt buckle.

"We dated…"

"You did more than date."

Kevin heard his buckle dangling as she placed her hand on his zipper.

"We…we…were a c-c-couple. We were in love…I mean…"

His zipper slowly began it's decent and he began to find it hard to focus on his answer to her question.

"I proposed…she…said no…"

He felt her small firm hand on him…inside his khakis…then his briefs…he closed his eyes feeling weak as she held him tightly in her grasp.

"She broke your heart, didn't she Kevin."

"Y-Y-Yes…"

"Would you like to see her pay for breaking your heart?"

"I-I-I…"

She smiled as his breathing became irregular and his chest began to heave up and down.

"I need to know that I can count on you to do what needs to be done Kevin."

"You can count on me, Amelia…Ohhhh…"

"Are you sure?"

He watched her sink to her knees.

"I-I-I…yes, yes, I'm sure."

"Even if it means killing Penelope Garcia?"

"YESSSSSS!"


	9. Chapter 9

She was beautiful; the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He still remembered the first day he'd laid eyes on her. She was so young and innocent not yet tainted by the world it seemed. He knew then that he had to have her in his life.

She hadn't bothered to close the door to her suite and so he stood in the doorway as she lounged on the veranda. She seemed happy and at peace and it reassured him that he had done the right thing by bringing her and her son to Cuba. With Hank she'd given him far more than he could ever give her and after tomorrow there would be no one that could stand in his way of making Savannah his for life.

She turned and saw him standing there. Beckoning for him to join her she stood to meet him halfway.

"Thank you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, planting a sweet kiss on his lips.

"For what, Cara Mia?"

"For this…all of this! It's amazing more than I could ask for; and the nursery, Armando, it's too much, really."

"Nothing is too much for you and it's only the beginning, mi amor. After all, you've given me a son and I'll never be able to repay you for that."

Armando returned the kiss with passion and she fell limp against his chest. The silence between them was warm and comfortable. It was as if no time had passed between them.

"The staff is preparing dinner; you and little Hank must be hungry by now. Why don't you freshen up and join me downstairs?"

"Of course, Armando. I am a little hungry." She chuckled.

"Good and tonight after the baby is asleep, I will show you just how much I've missed you."

"I can't wait. No one makes me feel like a woman like you do."

Armando smiled and kissed her again then released her and headed out of the room.

**Location Unknown – Morning –**

Armando relished in the rare moment of waking up with Savannah in his arms. It was rare that he allowed himself to sleep in and be distracted by things other than business; but she was worth it. The sound of his phone however, pulled him from his melancholy state of mind and he quickly grabbed the phone and left the room.

"Amelia?"

"Are you still in bed? Never mind, I forgot you have, _guests_."

"Now, now. What's going on there?"

"Everything is going as planned. I've got eyes everywhere just waiting on your orders."

"Good, good."

"And your, _friend…_Keith?"

"His name is, Kevin, Papa!"

"Yes, Kevin."

"He's like putty in my hands. He won't let us down, I assure you. If she gets too close, he'll kill her."

"Good news. Everything is a go here. Fireworks begin in about two hours in the heart of the city center. Our latest assassin is ready."

"Does she know? Does Savannah know what you have planned for her husband?"

"No and she doesn't need to know."

"What about her child?"

"He's my child now."

**Police Station – Cuba – **

Hotch and the others had not left the station, choosing instead to work through the night. They were exhausted, fueled by caffeine and the knowledge that Derek was running out of time. Villanuevo owned dozens of large estates, office buildings and warehouses. They had to be careful not call attention to their efforts to find Derek which was making their search nearly impossible.

"Garcia!" Reid yelled into the laptop.

Garcia had dozed off and so the high-pitched voice nearly forced her out of her chair.

"Y-Yeah…What…I'm here…"

"Can you check to see if there are any events coming up in Havana that would draw a large crowd?"

"Sure, I'm on it."

"What are you thinking, Reid."

"Hotch, all of the other murders took place in very public places, large crowds, dozens of witnesses…"

"So, when our unsub strikes again, it will be where everyone can see." Rossi added.

"Exactly! We know that Villanuevo has a connection with all of our victims and would benefit from their deaths and we know that somehow, Derek is linked…"

"So, Derek is either the target or the killer." JJ added.

"Or both." Hotch concluded.

Morgan sat quietly in the back seat of the late model sedan. His eyes were fixed, and his mind seemed foreign to him. He'd been briefed, the same message as the day before and the same threats. He was warned not to fight, and he wanted so badly to fight, to protect, her but he couldn't and as long as Raphael and Armando or their men held the small black remote, his mind was focused and obedient.

He was amazed at the large crowd, standing around waiting for a speech to be given; willing to weather the heat to witness the declarations of a man that would soon be dead.

"Hotch, I found something!"

"What is it, Garcia?"

"There's a big press conference scheduled by the attorney general, he's one of the biggest opponents of Armando Villanuevo and it's no secret that he's made it his life's mission to bring him down for his crimes."

"When is it scheduled?"

"Today! He's scheduled to speak in less than twenty minutes!"

Derek waded through the crowd inching closer and closer until he was front and center. Those around him were eager to hear the long-awaited words of a man who'd promised to fight crime and free the citizens of Cuba from the fear of treacherous criminals. The weight of the gun tucked neatly under his jacket was nothing compared to the heaviness of a mind and body that he could no longer command.

At Hotch's urging, Commander Rosales had called ahead and tried in vain to convince the attorney general to cancel his speech. He refused to succumb to fear, willing to risk his life if it meant the end of Armando Villanuevo's reign of terror.

"How close are we, Commander?"

"Not close enough!"

"How many officers do you have there?"

"I have ten officers already assigned to stand guard; They have been alerted of the possible threat and I have back up on the way."

"Let's hope it's enough." Hotch added.

Morgan watched his target climb the steps of the stage that had been erected temporarily for the occasion. He remembered Armando and Raphael's words of instruction and he felt the gun laying against his side. He knew he had to be careful and the men near his target did not escape his view; he knew who they were…what they were but it didn't matter they would not be able to protect the man. His orders were crystal clear…Miguel Sanchez-Arca would be shot dead by his hand…no options, no failure…then when he was away from the scene and alone…he would shoot himself.

The announcer's words were a blur and the enthusiastic gleam on his face seemed comical as Sanchez-Arca waited patiently to be called forward. Morgan was sweating now and to most he should have seemed suspicious with a jacket in the middle of the day's heat. But not one person seemed to notice the man who merely stood in place unaffected by the cheering and noises around him.

Hotch glanced at his watch for the tenth time as he pulled into the parking lot. Without a word the team jumped from the SUV's and gathered anxiously around their leader who quickly gave them all orders sending them off into the crowd. No questions just simply nods, and hasty retreats.

As Miguel Sanchez-Arca heard his name he took a moment to relish in the cheers and chants and in that moment, he felt a twinge omnipotence that unbeknownst to him would be short-lived. The attorney general glanced at the woman at his side just before approaching the podium raising his arms to show his appreciation to the crowd.

Later Morgan would feel unbearable remorse and guilt for not being able to prevent his actions. He would wonder if anyone who loved him now would love him later. He knew what he had to do, what he could not stop himself from doing and again his mind thought of the woman whom he loved with every ounce of his being.

"_I'm sorry Penelope…forgive me…"_

A restless child being hoisted onto her father's shoulders caught JJ's attention. To the right was a familiar body, tall, muscular and a bald head shining under the blistering sun. Her heart sped up as she spoke frantically into her comm.

"Hotch! I see him! I see Morgan…front center of the podium…NO! MORGAN!"

The shot was nearly muffled by the crowd but the blood that seemed to burst like a blooming flower on Sanchez-Arca's chest held the onlookers still as the man who had held the promise of a new day fell like a rock onto the stage. Then chaos and screams replaced the cheers. Morgan moved against the crowd looking for escape as police and his team ran toward him.

Morgan used the crowd as a shield as he managed to elude law enforcement and find momentary solitude in an alley a block away. His heart raced as he leaned against the wall behind a dumpster. He closed his eyes trying to erase the image of the man's wide-eyed shock and the blood; he wasn't ready to see so much blood even though it wasn't a vision that was new to him.

"Morgan?"

The familiar voice startled him; he remembered that he still held the gun in his hand.

"It's me, Reid. Put the gun down."

"I-I can't…I'm not finished."

"Yes, you are. It's time to go home."

"I can't go home, not now…not ever."

"What happened to you?"

"I don't…I don't…know…Penelope…you have to protect…"

Hotch, Rossi, JJ and the commander rounded the corner stopping dead in their tracks. Morgan placed the gun to his temple as his eyes roamed each face before him.

"Don't come any closer…you can't stop me…I'm not finished."

Reid slowly raised his gun and pointed it at the man who'd mocked him so many times about his lack of shooting ability; the same man who'd eventually taught him to be a superior shooter, especially close range.

"Morgan, please put the gun down." Hotch ordered.

"It's too late…it's too late…"

"Morgan, do you know that you are loved?"

Reid steadied his grip on his gun and prayed that his friend would change his mind.

"Yes."

"Don't do this."

"Pretty Boy?"

"Yes Morgan?"

"Take care of my son."

"NOOOOO!"

Then he pulled the trigger.


	10. Chapter 10

**Santa Maria Hospital – Havana, Cuba –**

"Spence, calm down…"

"JJ, I shot Morgan, I shot my best friend! How can I calm down?"

"You didn't have a choice, do you understand? You didn't have a choice!"

"I just want to go back to the days when I couldn't shoot, when I didn't even carry a gun."

"Then Morgan would be dead right now." Rossi interrupted. "You saved his life kid; don't forget that."

Derek slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. He tried to move, to get out of bed but he found himself handcuffed to the rails. Angrily he pulled and the rattling noise caught the attention of the uniformed officer dozing in the corner across the room.

"You're wasting your time, senor."

"Why am I here? Why am I cuffed to the bed? You can't hold me here…I'm a…"

Then the memories of the past several days and hours and minutes hit silencing him. He pulled against the cuffs again not to escape but perhaps hoping desperately that it had all been a dream. His wife, Savannah had watched as he was beaten and kidnapped, then held against his will and forced to…to…

"Please, I didn't want to kill that man, I couldn't stop myself, I…"

"Just calm down, the doctor will be back shortly."

Derek watched as the guard stood and approached his bed with his hand on his weapon. Instinctively, Derek tried to move away but again the cuffs kept him in place.

"Don't worry senor, I'm not the one you need to fear. Senor Villanuevo doesn't take kindly to failure and you senor…"

Just then, the door opened, and an elderly man dressed in a white lab coat entered followed by two nurses. The guard resumed his seat in the corner watching and listening closely.

"Agent Morgan, I'm doctor Pedro Mesa, I will be treating you during your stay here."

"You have to believe me; I didn't mean to kill that man…I don't know what came over me…"

"Please, please senor, that is a matter for the policia. My job is to make sure that your injuries are treated, that is all."

"I'm fine."

"Si, you are a very lucky man. Your injuries are minor considering that if it had not been for the other agent, you would be dead."

"The other agent, where is he? I need to talk to him!"

"There will be time for that later but for now we need to run some tests to make sure there is nothing else that we need to be concerned about."

"I need to talk to my team, my boss, agent Hotchner, he'll know I didn't mean to…"

"Please agent, it's important that you remain calm or I will need to sedate you is that clear?"

"Yeah, it's clear."

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you?"

"It's you! NO! NO! Get me out of here! Get me out of here!"

**Villanuevo Estate – **

Armando waited restlessly in his office. While he'd succeeded in shooting Sanchez-Arca, news of Morgan's escape had interrupted an otherwise peaceful lunch with Savannah and Hank. His orders were simple, kill Sanchez-Arca and then find a secluded area and kill himself. Failure was one thing that Armando would not tolerate, and, in this case, this failure could spell his downfall. Derek Morgan had to die if not at his own hands then Armando would use other means at his disposal.

Raphael could tell that his boss was beyond upset. He'd heard it in the tone of his voice, and he saw it in his body language well before he stepped into the office.

"What the hell happened?"

"His friends interrupted…"

"Don't give me that, Raphael! Do you know what will happen if that man talks? We all go down! He knows the entire plan; he will remember everything, and somebody just may believe him!"

"What do you want me to do, Jefe?"

"You have a man at the hospital, no?"

"Si, the guard in his room is one of ours."

"Good, good. Listen to me Raphael and listen good; I want that man dead before the evening is over!"

"Si, Jefe; before the evening is…"

"And Raphael…"

"Si?"

"NO mistakes!"

"Si, no mistakes."

**BAU Headquarters – **

Penelope kept busy working; scouring the internet looking for ways to help Derek. There had to be more, and she had to find it. There was no way, Morgan would willingly kill anyone. Villanueva's name continued to be the common denominator in the killings that had taken place in Cuba and that oddly now were linked to Morgan. She needed to see him but Hotch had insisted that she stay put in Quantico. She vowed to herself that she wouldn't leave her post until she found answers.

Kevin couldn't stop thinking about what Amelia had asked of him. He felt as if he was under some sort of spell whenever she was around. Perhaps it was because she had been the first woman since Penelope who seemed to capture his attention. He'd dated heavily after his breakup, but Amelia was different; the kind of woman who normally would not give him half of a glance, yet she was attentive, she listened and remembered everything he said; but kill Penelope? Kill anyone for that matter was asking more than he'd ever consider. Still, Amelia had a hold over him and there was something about her that made him fearful that if he disappointed her it would have drastic consequences.

While Penelope watched the information race across her screens, her mind drifted to the dark-haired woman that she'd seen in the lobby earlier. Since being shot Derek had taught her to be cautious; she'd fought him tooth and nail about it and she'd accused him of being a hovering over-protective hunk of burning love. He'd hammered it into her every day since to notice things that seemed unnoticeable. It had worked and now her mind was focused on a young woman who was no more than twenty but had a mature presence about her that seemed to contradict her outer appearance. Penelope had made a point to know everyone in the building, if not personally than by searching the employee database every time a new person entered the building with a security code. The woman didn't exist in the employee database and there was no one who matched her description signed in as a visitor, yet she had managed to get past security.

Amelia knew she had stayed too long, but Kevin needed extra reassurance that things would work out for the best. She lied; she had no good intentions for the poor sap and she'd soon as kill him as order dinner at the local café. It was her nature to not get attached she'd been taught well by a cold-hearted beast and she yearned with all her blackened heart to be just like him.

Finally giving in to her craving for caffeine, Garcia headed for the breakroom. She was shocked to see Kevin talking to the woman she'd seen earlier; they seemed odd together. She could tell that Kevin was smitten even from a distance and she was glad that maybe he'd finally found someone to make him happy. Neither one of them noticed her even though she was close enough to have been seen. No worries, she thought; she'd tease him about it later.

**Santa Maria Hospital – Havana, Cuba – **

Dr. Mesa stepped out into the hallway to join Hotch and the others. Now was the time to update his patient's friends and law enforcement on his condition.

"How is he, doctor?"

"Distraught, confused. He's asking to speak with you."

"What about his injuries?"

"The bullet to his lower arm was easy to remove and shouldn't have any lasting effects. You saved his life, Dr. Reid. If he'd been able to pull that trigger…well anyway, I want to keep him for a day or two so that I can run additional tests. He has a fresh wound on the back of his neck that I'd like to look at."

"Can we see him now?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, but don't stay long, I've ordered the nurses to give him something to settle him down so it will be taking affect soon."

"Thank you, doctor."

Just as the nurses were leaving, Hotch, Rossi, Reid, JJ and commander Rosales entered the room. The guard watched them as they surrounded the bed. Looking toward the guard, the commander ordered him out of the room.

"Morgan, I'm…" Reid began.

"No, don't…you didn't have a choice. I'm the one who's sorry for putting you in that position."

"What happened to you, Morgan?" Hotch asked.

"I was kidnapped…"

Morgan spent the next several minutes explaining all that he remembered about the last few days of his life.

**BAU Headquarters – **

Penelope glanced quickly over to where she'd seen Kevin and the young woman earlier; they both were gone. Taking a sip from her mug she shrugged and stepped into her lair. It was her…the woman whom she'd just seen with Kevin. There she was staring from her computer's monitor. Quickly rushing to her desk, she set her mug down and picked up her phone.

"Hotch!"

"You're on speaker, Garcia."

"Villanuevo has a daughter!"

"Okay, how does that help us…"

"She's here!"

"What?"

"She's here…in Quantico, Hotch!

Morgan's heart sped up and he began to struggle against his handcuffs.

"Get out, Baby Girl!"

"What do mean, she's in Quantico, Garcia?"

"Hotch, listen to me!" Morgan yelled.

"She's here…at the BAU! I just saw her!"

"Hotch, you got to get her out of there, NOW!"

"Garcia get out of there, now Garcia! Hotch ordered.

"What's going on? I don't know what's going?"

"I'll explain later, just get out now! She's there for you!"

Now Hotch felt his heart speed up, he knew that Garcia wasn't trained to see danger, to react to danger. Penelope quickly hung up, throwing the phone in her purse and grabbing her laptop. Just as she turned to head for the door, it opened.

"K-K-Kevin…what are you doing?"


	11. Chapter 11

"Kevin, what are you doing? She repeated.

He didn't answer her; he just stood there pointing a gun that looked odd in his hand. It was obvious that it felt odd for him to be holding it and pointing it at her of all people, but there he was determined to do whatever he came to do.

"Kevin! Why are you here?"

The woman's face was still on her computer screen. Penelope turned slightly to look at the face now seeming to mock her. Kevin followed her gaze before training his eyes again on Penelope.

"Did she tell you to do this; to kill me? Why? You're not a killer! Don't do this!"

"I have to, she needs my help and…"

"And what?"

"And you deserve it…you have to die!"

"Why? Why, Kevin?"

"Because he failed; you're knight-in-shining-armor, failed!"

"Derek?"

"You thought he was so perfect, that he was your hero! Where's your hero now, Penelope?"

Penelope again turned toward the screens this time she faced the woman's picture head on with her back to Kevin. He couldn't see her hands slowly rummaging knowingly through her bag.

"Kevin, I'm sorry that things didn't work out between us. Is that why you agreed to do this for her; Amelia Villanuevo?"

"Shut up, Penelope! You don't know what you're talking about! Amelia loves me and we are going to be together forever after this."

"Wow, quite a price to pay for love don't you think, Kevin? Kill someone…kill me. That's not love."

"I told you to shut up! Turn around and face me!"

Her hand found what she already knew was there. Another thing that Derek had insisted upon after she'd been shot. She never thought she'd have to use it, not like this but Kevin would be the second time.

"What did you expect to happen when you came in my office today?"

"What? I told you to turn around! NOW!"

Slowly she turned around as she was instructed; her hand was steady and this time the weight of the gun didn't seem so heavy. Kevin's eyes widened at the sight of the gun in her hand.

She felt a tear trickle down her face…just one lone tear.

The loud bang made her jump slightly. She felt the numbness overcome her as she watched his body float like a feather to the ground. Then the blood began to flow through her body again as it came to terms with what she had just done; what she had to do.

Amelia heard the shot. She purposely didn't give him a silencer; she needed the distraction the noise would cause. The chaos on the sixth floor would aid her escape. Poor sap, she thought; she didn't think he had the nerve to do it. So, without further hesitation, Amelia headed down the back stairs toward the exit.

**Santa Maria Hospital – Havana, Cuba –**

"Hotch, please you've got to get an agent on Garcia! Now Hotch! She's gonna get killed if we…"

"Morgan, Morgan I've already taken care of it! JJ's on it. Now you need to calm down and tell me everything you can so we can help Garcia, okay?"

"Okay, okay. The man who kidnapped me…"

"Armando Villanuevo."

"I guess, he never told me his name, but he told me if I didn't kill the Attorney General, he would kill Garcia!"

"Why didn't you try to escape when they dropped you off at the city center?" Reid asked.

"I-I-I don't know. I couldn't…I had a mission and…I couldn't stop. I don't know what made me do it! But I didn't want to, I swear! I'm not a killer but he was going to kill Garcia. He has people watching her! You've got to protect her!"

Morgan began to feel drowsy the sedative was taking affect now. The more he fought it the more it won, and he felt his eyes slowly closing and his body relaxing. Dave placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder as he fell into a fitful sleep.

"We'll protect her, son, we'll protect her."

It was a promise he wasn't sure he or any of them could keep. He wanted to believe that Penelope would be alright, and his promise was spoken to assure himself more than anyone else.

The guard who had been assigned to watch Derek rushed into the room and met the glare of the commander which stopped him in his tracks.

"What's happening in here?"

"We've got it under control, please remain outside."

Reluctantly the guard did as he was told closing the door behind him. He hated being dismissed but he had a bigger task and so for now he did as he was told.

"Is there something we should know, commander?"

"I'm not sure what you mean?"

"The guard, you've sent him out of the room twice now." Hotch asked.

"Let's just say that Armando Villanuevo has a long reach and as much as I'd hate to admit it, that could very well include the police force."

"If you were concerned with him being trustworthy, why did you assign him here?"

"I didn't. One of my lieutenants did. I didn't know he was here until we arrived. I would suggest you not leave Agent Morgan alone."

"Understood."

**BAU Headquarters – Quantico, Virginia – **

Penelope had found refuge in the darkness of Morgan's office. She'd grabbed her things and careful not to disturb the scene of the crime, left the room and went to the only place that made sense in a moment when nothing else made sense.

She could still smell his cologne, his essence lingered and as she sat curled up on the leather sofa, she could faintly feel his arms around her. She could hear the noise and commotion; the voices and the footsteps and she knew it would only be a matter of time before she was found. Still, she jumped when the door flung open and the familiar face nearly sent her over the edge.

"Come with me! Now!"

Without another word she stood and did as she was told. It had been a while since they'd seen each other and today of all days made for an odd reunion.

"Wh-where are we going?"

"Just stay calm and follow me, okay Penelope?"

"Okay…but I just…"

"We've got to hurry."

The two weaved through the crowd of responders and Penelope marveled at how they blended in so effortlessly as if they were invisible while the single-minded others continued to make their way to the information center that had long ago been dubbed, the lair.

After a seemingly endless flight of stairs and an elevator ride from the third floor the two were now headed out of the employee parking garage and away from the building.

"I can't believe I just killed Kevin."

"Breathe, Penelope! Breathe…it was self-defense. Don't worry I made a promise to keep you safe and I won't break that promise, okay?"

"Okay."

Penelope closed her eyes trying to erase the last few moments of her life and trying to make sense of the fact that she had just been swooped away to safety by the last person she'd ever expected to see. Then, it was as if the two were thinking the same thing, their eyes met before Penelope spoke again.

"Thank you, thank you, Jordan."

Jordan meant what she said; she'd protect Penelope with her life. It felt good to be trusted again by the BAU. It had been a while since she'd worked with them and her last performance left a lot to be desired. JJ's call had caught her off guard, but she welcomed the opportunity to prove herself to Hotch and the others. Yes, she wouldn't fail, not this time.

Then she glanced in her rear-view mirror and noticed that they were being followed.


	12. Chapter 12

The lights flashed once, then twice behind them. Then seemingly out of nowhere a dark SUV rushed past and moved abruptly into the lane in front of them. Penelope gasped as Jordan seemed unaffected by what was going on. Calmly Jordan turned down a dark unpaved road staying close behind the SUV. About half a mile into the darkness the SUV stopped causing Jordan to stop as well.

"What's going on? What's happening?"

"Stay calm, everything is going to be okay."

Penelope watched in horror as two men jumped out of the SUV and rushed toward them. The car that had followed them was now stopped behind them blocking any chance of escape.

"Jordan?"

Jordan shot a quick glance at Penelope and then at the men.

"I promised JJ that I'd protect you with my life and I always keep my promises."

Then both doors jerked open.

"Get out of the car!"

**Santa Maria Hospital – Havana, Cuba – **

Dave and Reid agreed to stay close to Derek while Hotch and JJ worked to get Derek released. There were complications; Derek had just shot a government official in front of hundreds of Cuban citizens and trying to convince the Cuban government to allow him to leave the country was going to be nearly impossible. Hotch had dealt with the near impossible before but even he had to admit that this would take a miracle.

"It's clear that he was operating under the influence of something just like the other shooter!"

"Agent Hotchner, I know that you have all the faith in the world that your man is not a killer, but that's exactly what he is!"

"But the attorney general isn't dead."

"Technically, no he isn't and if we had not been able to get him to wear the vest, he would be. But it's important that the world thinks that he is. Especially, Armando Villanuevo. So, until we have him in custody too, your man stays here!"

"What happens when the doctors release him tomorrow? He'll be a sitting duck behind bars."

"I'll double his guard detail and put him in a segregated wing of the jail."

"You said yourself that some of your own officers may be working for Villanuevo."

"I'm sorry Agent Hotchner, it's the best I can do. Besides what's the best way to catch a rat than with cheese?"

The doctors had sedated Morgan again; this time heavy enough to keep him out for the remainder of the evening and well into the next morning. Dave refused to leave his side and Reid paced the floor at the foot of his best friend's bed. They both vowed to make sure he was not alone until they all boarded the jet for home.

"So, when do we tell him the truth?" Reid asked.

"When it's safe."

"Rossi, he thinks that he killed an innocent man today! You know Morgan this will eat him alive!"

"I know Reid, but we can't let him know until we understand what type of hold that monster has on his mind. It's too dangerous!"

"I wonder how Garcia is doing. She's probably a total wreck by now."

**Virginia – Location Unknown – **

Jordan and Penelope sat quietly as the large SUV sped down the dark winding road. The only lights were the headlights and the bright lights from the car behind them. Fear had made it impossible to know if she was still breathing and Penelope wondered if this would be her last night among the living. Jordan seemed so peaceful as she looked blankly out into the darkness. Dread was all that Penelope felt at that moment; and regret for never telling Morgan how she felt about him.

Suddenly they came to an abrupt halt in front of a large oversized iron fence. Within seconds the gate opened, and the two vehicles entered. Penelope's heart rate sped up as she heard the gates close behind them. Jordan still had not reacted. Maybe her training with the bureau had taught her to not show fear or maybe she was betraying her promise to JJ and would be duplicitous in her death.

The lights were on in the large Mediterranean estate. Even in the dark it was beautiful. Her door opened and she was helped from the SUV as was Jordan. Quickly and quietly they were ushered into the house where at least a half dozen other men dressed in black suits were already gathered. They looked official with cell phones to their ears and high-tech equipment placed strategically against the walls.

A grey-haired man followed by a petite woman approached. Jordan nodded slightly to them both.

"Ms. Garcia."

"Y-Yes?"

"I'm Supervisory Special Agent Michael Mathers and this is Special Agent Debora Baxter with the FBI."

"FBI?"

"Yes, and until further notice this will be your home."

"I don't understand, what's going on? What about my things, my clothes…"?

"Make a list and we'll have it picked up from your apartment but for now everything you need is in your room upstairs."

Penelope turned to look at Jordan for reassurance. She saw the slight smile on her face, and she felt herself breathing for the first time.

"Is this for real, Jordan?"

"It's for real, Penelope. Just think of it as witness protection on steroids."

"Witness protection on steroids, right…okay."

**Santa Maria Hospital – Havana, Cuba – Morning – **

"Pen…"

Derek struggled to pull himself from the medicated-hold on his body. He remembered the day before; the news of what Villanueva's daughter had tried to do, and he needed to be awake.

"Penelope…Baby Girl…"

"Easy, easy, it's okay. Penelope is safe; she's safe."

Dave stood placing a firm hand on Derek's shoulder. He'd slept at his bedside all night while Reid found a way to sleep in a small metal chair nearby. He knew his stepson would have a lot of questions; some of the answers he would not like.

"What happened? Where is she?"

"JJ called Jordan…"

"Jordan Todd?"

"Yes, and she made arrangements to keep Penelope out of harms way until this is all over."

Reid was now on his feet, rubbing the soreness out of his neck.

"What about Ma and…what about my son! Hank, I need to see him Dave to make sure he's okay."

"Morgan…"

"Can you call my mother and check on him?"

"Derek, your mother and sisters are under federal protection now…"

"What aren't you telling me, old man?"

"Hank…"

"No, no, no, don't tell me something's happened to my son!"

"He's here, in Cuba."

"WHAT?"

"We found out you were missing when Savannah came home alone. She said that you'd been called away because the team had gotten a case."

"That doesn't explain why my son is here in Cuba."

"She picked him up from our house after we left to find you. None of us knew that she was a part of this conspiracy against you."

Derek tried to get out of bed, but the handcuffs prevented him from doing more than sitting up.

"You got to find him, man! Please, Dave!"

"We will, but you've got to let us do our job. Savannah is not going to let anything happen to Hank; she loves him even if…" Reid began.

"Even if she didn't love me."

"I'm sorry, Morgan."

"No, it's okay, Pretty Boy; it's okay."

**Tres Verdes Estate- Morning – **

On those rare occasions when Armando Villanuevo allowed himself to dream of things other than taking the world by force, he thought of this; waking up with her in his arms. Savannah had been the one thing that had been out of his reach for too long. He knew in those quiet sober moments that the woman laying asleep next to him would probably be his downfall, but he was willing to take the risk if only for a moment; this moment. She'd risked her freedom, her life and even her son to be here with him and for that no other confirmation of her loyalty and love was needed. She belonged to him and with him; she'd given him the son that life had denied him and even though Amelia had dedicated her life to him, it wasn't the same.

Savannah stirred and he placed a kiss on her cheek as he ran his fingers lightly through her hair.

"How long have you been awake, my love?"

"Just a while. I love watching you sleep."

"Well I love sleeping in your arms."

"I was thinking."

"You're always thinking." She chuckled.

"I want to make things official."

"Official?"

"I want us to get married and I want to become Hank's legal father. He's my heir and I want all of what I own to become his when I'm gone."

Savannah turned to face him and saw the seriousness in his eyes.

"Of course, I want to be your wife; I always have I just thought it was something I'd never have. I love you for loving Hank and wanting to claim him as your son but…"

"But what?"

"I don't want to think about you being gone. I want us to be together forever, so promise me no more talk of you being gone."

He smiled and kissed her passionately on the lips. His hands roamed her body as he kissed her again.

"I promise."

Armando began the morning the same way as he'd ended the night before and as he entered her, he paused for a moment and waited for her to open her eyes.

"What is it my love?"

"You haven't asked me anything about your husband since you've been here?"

"I'm sorry." Then kissing him passionately before going on. "Is he dead yet?"

"Soon, Mi Amor, soon!"


	13. Chapter 13

"Jail?"

"Just until we arrest Villanuevo." Hotch continued.

"I should have fought harder, I should have…"

"No, Morgan there was nothing more you could have done to stop what happened to you."

"Now I've killed a man. I'm a murderer just like Villanuevo wanted. He told me I couldn't stop him, and he was right."

"Morgan, you're not…"

"Reid!"

Hotch glared at the younger man scornfully. Reid looked away; his friend wasn't a killer and the longer he went believing he was made Reid angry and guilty. Hotch and Dave both were right, they had to keep him in the dark until they found out the truth about what had really been done to him.

"What, what's going on? What are you keeping from me?"

"It's just that we need to let this play out; we still aren't sure what was done to you." Dave answered.

"I just want to go home. I want my son back and I need to know that Garcia and my family are safe."

Just then the doctor walked in interrupting the conversation.

"I'm sorry to disturb you all."

"No, no please come in." Hotch said.

"We've gotten the results back from your test."

"What did you find, Doctor? What did they do to me?"

"Just like the man in the morgue, you have a small metal device that has been implanted at the base of your skull."

Morgan closed his eyes and let his head fall against the pillow.

"It needs to be removed but frankly, we've never dealt with anything like this and we won't know until we get in and take a look."

"Okay, then let's do this. I want my life back and I don't want this man to be able to control me like I'm some damn lab rat!"

The doctor looked around at the others before continuing.

"The implant is in a very dangerous place and one wrong move and…"

"And what?" Morgan asked.

"At best you'd end up a quadriplegic and at worst…"

"You'll die." Reid finished.

"If I do nothing, then I'll spend the rest of my life in prison."

**Tres Verdes Estate – **

Amelia's phone call interrupted Armando and Savannah's morning romp. Savannah should have been angry at the young woman whom she had never met but Armando had satisfied her in ways that Derek never could. Armando's mind was on her, on pleasing her while Derek was always a million miles away, going through the motions of lovemaking and believing that she didn't know where his thoughts really were. Armando planted a kiss on her lips and left the bed with his phone against his ear. She smiled as he walked out of the room; he was hers and she was finally home. Why then was she suddenly overcome with dread.

"_Savannah, run!"_

Those were Derek's last words to her as he fought for his life and hers. He had no clue that she'd been plotting for months to end his life. Armando had agreed to help her any way he could. She didn't know that Armando had also been plotting against Derek and so when circumstance and desire sent their plans into a tragically wonderful plan, the poor agent never stood a chance. Now if only she could get rid of his daughter, she thought.

"I'm sorry, Papa!"

"Amelia, how did you let this happen? You promised me that she would be dead, and you'd be on your way home by this morning!"

"Yes, I know but all of my research told me that she would be easy! She killed _him_; in cold blood!"

Armando began pacing the floor and trying to shake off the disappointment in his only child who'd dedicated her life to pleasing him. She'd never failed before; never. He loved her the best he could but now he had even more problems. Word of Penelope Garcia's reputation as one of the world's best hackers had even found its way to him and so he knew by now it would only be a matter of time before the law would find him.

"Where is she? We can still use her to keep Agent Morgan quiet!"

"I'm not sure. She had help getting out of the building and now it's as if she has vanished!"

"Damn it!"

"I'm sorry, Papa please forgive me!"

"Of course, of course! Just get home, now before they find you!"

"Si Papa!"

**Federal Safe House – Location Unknown- Afternoon – **

As much as she wanted to explore the massive estate, Penelope stayed holed up in her room which was more like a large apartment. In fact, it was twice the size of her apartment. Now that it was daylight, she could see several armed guards patrolling outside. She kept thinking about Kevin and how he had come to take her life for a woman who wanted her dead.

Kevin was the man who she had assumed would be her forever even though she wasn't in love with him she loved him enough to settle; until he asked her to marry him. The thought made her ill and even though she risked being alone, she couldn't do it to herself and she especially couldn't do it to him.

Penelope was suddenly overcome with guilt; she wondered what would have happened had she told Derek how she felt. Everyone swore that he was in love with her, but her insecurities forced her to become blind to any possibility that he loved her. She'd found comfort in her cowardice. Had he known how she felt, had he felt the same he would have never married Savannah and he'd be safe now. It was a stretch, but she blamed herself for the mess all their lives were in right now.

Jordan climbed the long winding stairway to the second floor. Penelope had missed breakfast and she was worried. She'd never had a chance to get to know the woman, but she knew that she was someone very special to Derek and the rest of his team. She'd been surprised by JJ's call, but it made her feel good to be counted on and to be thought of as a trustworthy resource. She was quick to say, yes and now with agents on the young Amelia Villanuevo, she felt certain that Penelope would be safe.

Penelope heard a light knock on the door and turned just as the door slowly opened.

"Can I come in?"

"Jordan, yes, please come in."

"You didn't come down for breakfast, so I thought I'd bring up a tray."

"Thank you but you didn't have to do that."

"I would have a tough time explaining how you starved on my watch."

"Thank you."

The two women sat at the table near the large glass window that looked over the back side of the estate.

"It's beautiful here. I wish…" Penelope looked away without finishing her statement.

"Penelope, we have Villanuevo's daughter under surveillance and we know every step she makes; she can't get to you. From all intelligence, she's working alone."

"It's not that. I can't help wondering why all of this; why another attack on Derek? He's gone through so much; all he wants is to be left alone. Now Savannah his own wife is behind all of this?"

"None of us saw this coming, Penelope. Derek trusted her, he loved her enough to marry her and have a child. He didn't vet her; didn't think he had to, so…"

"You're right, I know but it doesn't stop me from worrying about how this latest kidnapping will affect him."

"Derek is strong, he'll survive just like the last time."

"I'm not so sure."

"Well, you make sure you're there for him when they bring him home; he's going to need his best friend."

"I'll always be there for him; always."

"That's what we do for those we love, right?"

The two women looked at each other knowingly.

"Right."

**Tres Verdes Estate – **

It was barely past noon and Armando was already into his second glass of tequila. Raphael sat in front of his boss waiting for instructions. Trouble was brewing and Raphael couldn't help but think that had Armando not insisted on beating the man who'd won the hand of the lovely and elusive Savannah Hayes, none of the current complications would be heading their way. Raphael feared for his life and his livelihood, but he dared not voice his concerns to the man who could and would kill him without a second thought. So, while the man who was known for being careful to the point of paranoia plotted from a point of egomaniacal jealousy, Raphael sat and waited and prayed that he would somehow escape the fallout. For now, his loyalty meant life and continued wealth for himself and his family.

"I'm surrounded by failures, Raphael! How do you suggest we fix this mess?"

It was a rhetorical question no doubt; he had no way in hell to fix this…this problem.

"We need to make sure Agent Morgan completes his mission." Raphael suggested.

"Yes, that's true but how when his friends have him under watch twenty-four-seven; even the guard has been banished from the room."

"We can create a, _situation_; it will give the guard enough time to get in the room and…"

Armando smiled at his longtime friend and cohort. He could always count on Raphael; he'd served over the years as if his life depended on it. He was anxious to hear his plans.

"Just what do you have in mind, my friend?"

**Santa Maria Hospital – 2 Hours Later – **

Dave and Reid and taken turns leaving the room to stretch their legs and to go on food runs. Derek was a grouch and anxious to get out of bed. The doctors had convinced him to take a day to make a decision about his surgery which would buy him a little time before the police carted him off to jail; either way he still had a big target on his back and everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before Villanuevo would strike. With the many hiding places at the crime lord's disposal they had to be certain where to strike when it was time to bring the man down.

"Dave can you at least get them to take off these cuffs. I'm not going anywhere with a police officer in the hallway and you two watching every move I make!"

"I wish I could, son but you've been accused of murdering a beloved Cuban official and if you step foot out of this room it could be anyone taking a shot at you."

"Damn it, man, I didn't mean to do it! I want to clear my name and I can't do it changed to this bed!"

Just then, Reid walked back into the room carry two large brown bags of food. He noticed the tension as he set the bags down and began handing out burgers and fries that he'd found at a nearby cantina.

"Burgers in Cuba?" Dave joked.

"Burgers are everywhere. In Japan alone there are three thousand McDonald's restaurants; two-thousand-seven hundred in China and one-thousand…"

"We get it Reid!" Morgan growled.

Just as the three began unwrapping their burgers, the nurse that had been assigned to Derek since his arrival stepped into the room with three large Styrofoam cups of hot coffee.

"It looks like I got her right on time. Dinner smells wonderful!"

"Is that coffee?" Derek asked.

"It sure is. I know how awful the coffee is here so, I went to the café around the block on my break. I thought you three could use some real Cuban coffee."

Carefully she handed each of them a cup to which they gratefully accepted. Reid and Rossi quickly taking sips and smiling at the wonderful change of pace. Derek sat his next to his food, not interested in it or the burger and greasy fries.

"Thank you so much." They said in unison.

"You are more than welcome! Enjoy and I'll come check on you later."

Closing the door behind her she made her exit and headed toward the nurses' station. Just as she stepped behind the desk, a tall thin man greeted her with a nod and placed a brown envelope in her hand.

"Thank you so much for your help."

"You're welcome, Raphael! My pleasure!"


	14. Chapter 14

Derek wasn't hungry so as his two friends ate and drank coffee, his sat untouched. Conversation had slowed to near nothing with Reid reciting statistics on the probability of a person, especially a federal agent being kidnapped halted with his half-eaten fries hitting the floor in a greasy splatter followed by Rossi's coffee cup falling to the floor.

Something was wrong; very wrong. Just as Derek reached for his call button, the door opened, and the guard stepped in with his gun drawn. Derek glanced at his two friends who were now unconscious then back at the guard. With his index finger to his lips he closed the door behind him.

"Be a good boy now and keep quiet!"

"What did you do to my friends?"

"Don't worry, they'll be fine in an hour or so, but you and I will be long gone."

"The nurse will be back soon and…"

"And what, Agent? She won't be able to help you, Armando Villanuevo has made sure of that."

"So now what?"

"Now we calmly leave the hospital and if you do what you're told no one gets hurt on our way out; you don't want to hurt anyone else do you? After all, you've already killed one person since you've been in Cuba."

Morgan looked at Reid and Rossi both unconscious and unaware of what was happening. He didn't want them or anyone else harmed because of him. He watched the guard move toward the small closet and grab his clothes. Then fishing a small key from his pocket, he threw the clothes on the bed.

"Don't try anything or I'll kill them both!"

Morgan shook his head as the guard unlocked the cuffs.

"Get dressed! Hurry!"

Morgan quickly got dressed while his captor nervously watched. While Morgan put on his shoes the guard glanced out the door giving Derek time to slide Rossi's phone into his pocket.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, just putting on my shoes."

Suspiciously the man walked up to Morgan placing the barrel of the gun against his forehead.

"If it wasn't for the fact that my boss wants to see you, I'd blow your head off right now. I'd probably be a hero after what you've done!"

Morgan stood still barely breathing and praying that the man would not notice the phone missing from the bedside table. He didn't and he grabbed Morgan's arm pulling him toward the door.

"Listen and listen good; we're going to calmly walk out of this hospital before your other friends come back from the police station. You are going to behave and not call any attention to us, you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Good, let's go!"

**Tres Verdes Estate – **

Savannah smiled as she watched Armando with her son. He was so gentle and patient with the baby who he had just met only days ago. He loved him and she could tell by the way he held him and kissed him on his cheeks that he would make a great father.

"Daddy loves you, mi hijo! Tu eres mi hijo ahora. You're my son now."

Armando felt as if no time had passed since he'd last seen Savannah. He held the baby in his arms and felt hopeful and happy. He remembered the birth of Amelia and how he'd wanted a son so desperately. She had tried so hard to be the son he wanted but she couldn't and for that Armando felt sad and guilty for her. Even now as she was on her way back home, he knew that a son would have never failed him. He would teach Hank everything about his business and leave him the keys to his kingdom after he was gone; it was the promise he'd made to Savannah and it was the promise he would keep to her.

"You are so good with him, Armando."

"We have a surprise for Mommy, don't we Hank."

Then turning to face her he smiled as she joined them in the nursery.

"What have you planned, my love?"

"Today our lives change forever; there's no turning back."

"Armando, what have you done?"

"After today no one will be able to deny me a son."

"Of course not, I won't let them. I love you for loving him and loving me."

Armando kissed her lightly on the lips then turned his attention once again to the baby.

"Would you like to say goodbye to your husband?"

"What? I thought…"

"One of my associates will be bringing him here shortly; would you like to say your last goodbyes?"

"Wow, this is a surprise. Yes, of course, I'd love to say goodbye to Derek and reassure him that Hank and I will be well taken care of after he's gone."

"Then so it shall be."

**Santa Maria Hospital – **

Hotch and JJ stepped through the hospital doors unaware that only moments before Derek had been forced to walk out of the hospital at gunpoint and Reid and Rossi had been rendered helpless. They had gone to the police station to officially return the serial murder case back into the hands of the locals. They'd managed to solve that case and Derek's disappearance all at the same time with the same unsub responsible. The only thing that remained was to bring in the elusive Armando Villanuevo so that they could bring Derek home.

Hotch immediately noticed that the guard was missing and assumed that the commander had finally been successful in getting him reassigned. Although it was odd that he hadn't mentioned it earlier. The first thing they both noticed was Derek's empty bed, then Reid and Rossi who seemed to be waking up from a nap. JJ rushed over to Reid while Hotch kneeled in front of Rossi.

"Reid! Reid!"

"Dave, what happened?"

Neither of the men answered as they looked around confused and dazed. Hotch pressed the call button and again tried to assist his friend.

"Dave, wake up! Where's Morgan?"

Reid tried to stand but JJ held him in his chair; fries and spilled coffee still on the floor.

"Where's the nurse?" Hotch yelled.

"JJ call the police, now!"

**Tres Verdes Estate – **

The guard had forced Morgan to ride in the trunk of his late model Pontiac Bonneville. It was hot and smelled of gasoline and old tires. He wasn't sure if there would be enough air but luckily it had been and when the car came to a stop, he felt a minute sense of relief to see the sun and to breathe fresh air.

The relief was short lived as he was pulled from the trunk and thrown to the ground. His arms had been cuffed behind his back and he was in pain with his arm seeping through the gauze bandaging. The man seemed to get joy from causing him pain sending his boot into Morgan's side and chuckling as he lay moaning on the ground.

"That's enough!"

Raphael stepped in front of the guard just as he was about to kick Morgan again.

"Welcome! Please accept my apologies for my colleague. He tends to get a little worked up when he's invited to the bosses house."

"Carlos, help our guest to his feet, Senor Villanuevo is expecting him to at least be able to walk under his own power."

Grunting something under his breath, much to Raphael's entertainment, Carlos pulled Morgan to his feet. A nervous giddiness overcame Armando as he watched the arrival of his guest of honor. He wanted to look into the man's eyes who'd taken the one thing he wanted most in the world; Savannah. He wanted to kill him personally for not following orders at the end of his mission. Most of all, he wanted him to watch as he stole his family from him just before he took his life.

As he watched Morgan being led into his office, he saw the defiance in his eyes; the same defiance that had made it difficult to break him and bring him under submission. Even with the implant, this man had fought and even now as he looked death in the face, he showed no fear; no fear of death…no fear of him.

"Welcome to my home, Agent Morgan, please sit, sit; you look a little worn for wear."

Morgan remained on his feet staring the man down with angry eyes unphased by the fact that his hands were still cuffed behind his back. Armando nodded then smirked at Carlos who eagerly pushed Morgan into the seat in front of the large desk.

"You are quite an impressive man, agent Morgan. I've never seen a man fight quite as hard as you have."

"Where is my son?"

"I thought you'd make the perfect killer for me; but I was wrong. You failed and I don't accept failure."

"Where…is…my…son!"

"You are going to die today, Agent Morgan; it's going to be slow and painful but it's for a good reason…a teachable moment if you will."

Morgan continued to stare unblinkingly at the man who was now pacing back and forth caught up in the fact that he had won.

"I'm not all bad, agent. I want to give you a chance to say your goodbyes."

"You won't get away with this; you sick son-of-a-bitch!"

"But I will, agent, I will."

Derek heard the familiar sounds of his son in the distance. His giggles and gurgles had kept him alive during some dark times and had made being married to Savannah seem tolerable. He'd done the right thing, what his father would have wanted him to do. He owed it to Hank and to the mother of his child to take care of his responsibilities; it all seemed like a joke now.

The smell of her perfume preceded her as she stepped into the room with Hank in her arms.

"Hello, Derek."


	15. Chapter 15

**Santa Maria Hospital – **

Both Dave and Reid refused medical attention once they were fully awake. Despite Hotch's insistence to get checked out, both men refused. Both of them were certain that they could keep Morgan safe but even with them both in the room, Villanuevo had managed to get to Derek with ease. Inconsolable didn't begin to describe how they felt.

"Dave calm down!"

"Calm down? How can I calm down when Morgan is out there some where alone and it's my fault!"

"Dave's right." Reid began. "We were supposed to protect him. Villanuevo is one of the cruelest criminals out there. He's known for how he treats his enemies and we fell asleep on the job!"

"Spence, Dave this wasn't your fault; either of you! The doctors said you were poisoned! No one knew that the nurse was in on it. We suspected the guard; we never suspected the nurse."

"Enough! We can stand around and blame ourselves; we need to find Morgan and fast!"

"You're right Hotch; I'll call…"

Dave noticed that his phone was not on the table where he'd laid it. Reid and the others noticed as he searched his pockets and the area around the bed.

"Dave, what's wrong?" Hotch asked. "Dave!"

"My phone, it's gone. I had it right here and it's gone."

**Tres Verdes Estate – **

Savannah slowly came into view standing close; too close in front of him. Hank wiggled in her arms reaching for his father. Derek's heart broke struggling against the cuffs and wanting desperately to reach for his son and take him from her.

"Why Savannah?"

"I woke up and realized that this is where I belong, Derek."

Her voice was calm and even as if this was simple idle conversation.

"Uncuff me and let me hold my son."

"I see nothing has changed; still the same Derek demanding and needing to be in control."

"Let me hold my son!"

"I don't think so, husband. Besides, he's _ou_r son now; me and Armando."

"No, no it's okay. After all, we're not beast, Mi Amor. Let him have his final goodbye to our son."

Armando came into view standing next to Savannah and placing his arm around her shoulders. Then pulling the familiar black remote from his pocket he waved it in Derek's face.

"Besides, I'm the one in control, right Agent?"

Derek shook his head affirmatively.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

"Yes, you're in charge."

"Good, Agent; very good."

Being under protection had not stopped Garcia from looking for Armando Villanuevo. The more she looked, the more hiding places she found; making her search even more daunting. The last call from Hotch had given her hope. Derek had managed to sneak Rossi's phone out of his room without the guard noticing. Now able to track him, the team headed toward the location where the phone was pinging, she prayed that the team would get there in time.

It would take at least forty-five minutes to reach the location. Hospital security footage showed that Derek had walked out of the hospital with an unknown male over an hour ago. No one spoke as Rossi drove toward the outskirts of town. Several marked and unmarked cars followed behind and everyone silently prayed that they would get there before Derek was killed.

"_He's going to be alright; he's going to be alright."_

**Tres Verdes Estates – **

Derek sat quietly holding Hank tightly against his body, rocking and kissing his son perhaps for the last time. He fought back the tears not yet ready to accept that Hank would be raised by a mother and an evil beast of a man who'd conspired to take his life. Villanuevo had already sworn to raise him as his own so to know that Hank would never know the truth broke his heart; it was worse than anything Savannah and her lover had planned for him.

"It's time."

Derek increased his hold on Hank pleading for a few more minutes.

"It's time." Armando repeated.

Raphael and the guard moved closer as Savannah reached for her son.

"No!"

"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Agent."

"This is my son…it doesn't matter what you do or what you tell him; he's my son!"

"Agent this little device can make you let him go; it can also make you feel great pain. Do you want your son to see you in pain? Do you want to take the risk of dropping him; hurting him?"

Morgan looked up and saw the man's finger ready to push the button. He knew what would happen to him and even Hank. Reluctantly, he let go and watched Savannah pull Hank from his arms. When the baby was safe, Armando pushed the button and watched gleefully as Morgan screamed and fell to the floor. Savannah smiled too as she leaned toward Armando and kissed him passionately on the lips.

"Take the baby upstairs; your husband and I have some unfinished business."

"Yes, my love."

The silence in the SUV was broken by a call from Garcia. Hotch quickly answered his phone hoping for good news.

"You're on speaker, Garcia."

"Hello my crime fighters. With Villanuevo being the paranoid nightmare beast from hell, I channeled my inner Black Queen and dug up some of my old acquaintances from a life long ago and I found something that I think might help when you get to Derek's location."

"What is it Garcia?"

"After Villanuevo bought this property he had secret underground tunnels built. None of his other properties have such tunnels which further confirms that this is his real home base."

"Good work Garcia." Dave shouted. "I'm sure he has surveillance cameras that will pick us up as soon as we get to the front gate."

"Exactly, but here's the thing; there are no surveillance cameras at the entrance of the tunnels. Very few and I mean very few people even know these tunnels exist."

"Send the coordinates…"

"Already done, boss man!"

"Thanks, Garcia!" JJ responded.

"Be careful, my loves!"

"You had a simple task, Agent; kill the attorney general and then kill yourself. All of my other soldiers had no problem completing their orders successfully."

"You won't get away with this; you know that, right?"

"I will; I always do."

Morgan fought the lingering pain as he pulled himself to a sitting position on the floor.

"You know what I don't understand."

"No, what don't you understand?"

"How you couldn't make a woman like Savannah happy."

"My marriage is none of your business."

"Don't worry, I'm going to treat her like she deserves to be treated and when you're dead I'm going to raise your son and make him my heir."

"You sick son-of-a-bitch!"

Dave stopped the SUV about a mile from the main entrance of the estate. The commander and the other patrol cars stationed themselves out of sight to be able to catch anyone leaving through the front gates of the large property. The well-hidden entrance of the tunnels was about a hundred yards off the paved road and surprisingly there was only one guard who was quite surprised when his afternoon siesta was interrupted by four angry American agents dressed in black.

Savannah watched the nanny lovingly care for her son; changing his diaper and putting on a clean outfit before giving him a snack and rocking him to sleep. She couldn't help remembering the night he'd been conceived.

FLASHBACK…

She was surprised to find him at her door; he'd been out of town on a case for the past three weeks and she had not heard from him much and when she did he sounded off. She'd learned over the year and a half of knowing him that his work often affected him badly; especially cases involving children. In fact, she had asked him not to share the gory details of his job and so he kept the nightmares and the blood and guts tucked away inside.

This night was different; she didn't even know he was back in town until her doorbell rang.

"Derek?"

"Hey, Savannah."

"You're back…I wasn't expecting…"

"I know, I should've called; can I come in?"

"Yes, of course."

He followed her into the apartment; she could tell he was not doing well, and she wasn't sure what to do for him or what to say to make him feel better.

"Coffee? I can make a pot."

"No…I…listen, I'm not sure why I came, it's late and I probably woke you."

"Well, I do have an early shift in the…"

That was all she was able to get out before he descended upon her, pulling her into his arms and devouring her mouth with his. Overcoming the shock of what was happening, she melted into his arms. He'd never been like this with her; always polite, always a little distant…holding a small part of himself away from her.

"Derek…" She breathed.

"Savannah, I need to know that I'm not this…this broken failure; that I can make this work, make us work."

"Derek where is this coming from? Of course, you're not a failure. We both have our faults but we're making this, us work."

"Do you love me Savannah? I need to know that you can love me!"

"I…Yes…I love you, Derek."

That was all he needed, and it was all she needed as well. She'd waited for him to let down his walls and show some sign that he had chosen her, really chosen her. She wanted it all; him, his heart…everything.

"I need you Savannah; I need you now."

She took his hand and without another word she led him to her bedroom. There was no passion, just pain and she didn't fool herself into thinking that he was making love to her; she knew better, she knew him better. There had been times when he'd shown her softness and patience and passion, but this wasn't one of those times. She didn't care and for that she hated herself for settling for whatever Derek Morgan was able to give but she loved him; more importantly, she loved the conquest of him and so she gave him what he needed and she took what she felt she deserved and in the end she had to admit that he had still managed to hold onto his heart.

The next morning, she felt sore and sounds of his light snoring made her smile, still feeling as if she'd won a small battle. He was here with her and he'd shown her a glimpse of his vulnerable side; she'd keep the knowledge of it tucked away and when the time came, she would use it against him. Two months later, she did when the doctor told her she was pregnant.

FLASHBACK ENDS…

Penelope waited anxiously for news; she prayed that the information she had discovered would be enough for her team to rescue Derek and bring him home alive. Her mind drifted to a time when he'd paid her a visit almost two years ago; thinking about it now filled her with regret.

FLASHBACK…

She knew he was in bad shape and in fact, JJ had been the one to call to let her know that they were on their way home; not him. She so wanted to see him, but she was mad at him for taking another foolish risk with his life; nearly getting himself killed. He'd tried to call her, but she refused to answer…teaching him a lesson for making her worry again.

She didn't want to be there when he stepped off the elevator, so she headed home before they arrived at the BAU. It didn't stop him from ringing her doorbell two hours later.

"Derek, what are doing here?"

"Baby Girl can I…"

"No! No, Derek, you can't! You can't keep dropping by whenever you want and expect me to pick up the pieces after ...!"

"But…I…need…"

"Derek, you promised to stop making these crazy impulsive decisions that put your life in danger! I can't take it, Derek!"

"I'm sorry, Baby Girl but can we have this conversation inside?"

She looked at him; he was a wreck. She knew he was in trouble; he'd been showing signs all week of being near his breaking point, but it didn't matter. She was tired of rescuing him only for him to go to Savannah and call her his girlfriend. It wasn't fair that she was in love with her best friend and it wasn't fair that he didn't know and that he didn't see her, really see her.

"Derek, I can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?"

"See, that's what I'm talking about! You don't have a clue!"

"Clue? What clue? What are you talking about?"

"Derek Morgan, I love you, but I can't watch you make the same mistakes, over and over…besides, I'm sure Savannah is expecting you."

"Baby Girl, I need to talk to you; I need to tell you something that I should have told you years ago!"

"Derek, you promised Savannah that you would do whatever it took to be with her; do you think she would appreciate it if she knew her boyfriend was at another woman's door begging to come in?"

"No, I guess not; I'm sorry I bothered you."

She saw the hurt in his eyes and her heart broke. She knew he would always choose the women who looked like Savannah; he'd never see her or see her heart beating for him. She had to choose herself and move on with her life and tonight was the first step in that direction; no matter how long it took her to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart.

FLASHBACK ENDS…

"_I'm so sorry, Derek. I should have told you. I should have told you how I felt. I should have never sent you away…this is all my fault…"_

Penelope wiped the tears from her eyes and wondered if her best friend would ever forgive her.


	16. Chapter 16

Hotch, Dave Reid and JJ inched their way through the dark winding tunnels toward the house. Villanuevo had taken great care in the construction designed to make his escape easy and so this attention to detail helped the team move quickly and within minutes they found themselves inside the house.

Armando had spent the last several minutes causing Derek great pain. He continued to press the button on the remote and then allowing the guard to kick and beat him to both of their amusement. He'd survived this treatment the last time he'd been kidnapped and so he knew how to remove his mind from what was happening to his body.

FLASHBACK…

The team had been gone for three weeks and the fact that they'd chased an unsub that had been right under their noses didn't sit well with Derek. Four young boys had been sexually assaulted and brutally murdered in a town that seemed the picture-perfect example of the American dream. This was a bad one; he'd seen worse, they all had, but this case affected Derek more than any other. He'd risked his life to catch the unsub; a local celebrity who had been the major news reporter on the highly profiled story and he had interjected himself into the case.

Now he was on his way home; he'd asked JJ to call ahead to let Garcia know that they were headed home. She had ignored several calls and text from him and he knew he was in trouble with her for nearly getting himself killed. Derek had lost count of the times he'd broken the promise he'd made to not make her worry. He would make it right; he had to make it right and so when he arrived back at the BAU, not seeing her bright orange caddy, he headed to her place.

He didn't know what was worse, the anger in her eyes or the hurt in her voice; both meant that she had reached her limit and she was tired of his broken promises and most of all she was tired of him. He had come to her door countless times for comfort and solace; it was what she did and what she was to him…his God-given solace. She was done; the finality in her words felt like a dagger in his heart and the door slamming in his face placed the period on any chance of him having any more time to find the courage to tell her how he felt about her. He wondered why it had to take losing her to realize that he couldn't live without her.

He didn't know how he ended up at Savannah's doorstep but here he was, and she seemed forgiving and eager to let him in. He pleaded with her to tell him he wasn't a lost cause and she assured him he wasn't and so, ignoring the pain in his heart, he followed her to a familiar place; not just her bed but to a familiar remedy that never really worked but temporarily eased his pain. So, with his eyes and mind closed he allowed Savannah to be his solace for the night.

FLASHBACK ENDS…

"It's time! Enough of this! Get him to his feet!"

Raphael and the guard quickly did as they were told and pulled Morgan roughly to his feet. Considering the beating he had taken, Derek stood firmly staring at his captors. His last thoughts were of his family and of Penelope and of his son who would never know him if he died today. Armando and the others had grown comfortable winning and even though it seemed that victory was certainly theirs he wasn't ready to concede; not yet…not like this.

"Give me your gun."

The guard pulled his gun from his holster and handed it to his boss.

"Sometimes a leader has to do his own dirty work." Pointing the gun at Derek. "I want the pleasure of taking your life, Agent Morgan."

Hotch and Dave heard voices from the end of the hall and moved quietly toward the large opened doors. JJ and Reid headed up the long winding staircase; guns drawn.

Morgan saw Hotch from the corner of his eye and inwardly felt relief. His impulsive act of stealing Dave's phone had worked and no doubt his baby girl had tracked him here.

"Time to die."

"Not today." Morgan responded.

"FBI, DROP THE GUN!"

Savannah heard loud threatening voices coming from downstairs. Instinctively she grabbed Hank from his crib and rushed past the nanny out into the hallway. She stopped suddenly at the sight of two familiar faces approaching from both sides.

"Don't move, Savannah!" JJ ordered.

"What are you doing here? What's going on?"

Reid put away his gun, rushed toward her and before Savannah could react, he pulled Hank from her arms.

"Savannah, you're under arrest for, kidnapping, attempted murder…"

"Are you insane, JJ? You don't have the right to arrest me in Cuba."

JJ holstered her gun and roughly cuffed Savannah's hands behind her back.

"I have the right and even if I didn't, I'd still be here to drag your scrawny ass back to the states for what you've done to Derek! Now, let's go!"

"Morgan, put the gun down."

Morgan had watched Armando and the other two men surrender without resistance. Armando had slowly set his gun on the desk near where Morgan stood and without a second thought Derek grabbed the gun and pointed it at the head of Armando Villanuevo.

"Morgan, put the gun down; he's not worth it." Hotch insisted.

"He took me from my family…he tried to steal my son…he put this…this thing in my head…I want him dead!"

"We know, we know!" Dave began. "He'll pay for what he's done, trust me!"

"No, it's not enough. He made me kill someone against my will! How do I take that back? I'm a murderer!"

"No! No, you're not, Morgan!"

Everyone turned toward Reid who stepped into the room with Hank in his arms.

"Hank!"

"That's right, He's right here; he's fine, just fine."

"I don't want him to see…me…"

"Morgan, look at me; look at your son."

Morgan quickly glanced at Reid and Hank then back to his target.

"The man you thought you killed isn't dead! We made him wear a vest; he's still alive!"

"How? I don't understand…"

"I'll tell you everything later, but right now you have to trust me, okay?"

"YOU'RE A COWARD! I DID EVERYTHING TO BREAK YOU! I DID BREAK YOU AND YOU CAN'T KILL ME?"

"Shut up! Shut up!"

"Don't listen to him, son; listen to us…he's not worth it! Your mother is worried and wants you home. Please, put the gun down and let's go home."

Morgan slowly began to lower the gun shaking his head acknowledging that his friends were right; wanting to go home more than anything in the world.

"COWARD! COWARD!"

The room became flooded with uniformed officers ready to do their jobs; taking the three men into custody.

"Get him out of here! Get them all out of here!" Hotch ordered.

Morgan watched as Reid slowly approached him while Hotch and Dave came closer. JJ entered the room and joined her team in a circle around their friend. Morgan silently reached for Hank who nearly leaped from his godfather's arms to his father.

Dave placed a firm hand on Derek's shoulder fighting back tears and smiling into the faces of his teary-eyed team members. Morgan held the child tightly against his body and released the tears that he'd held inside for the last several days. The smell of his son was like an elixir and he found strength each time he inhaled his scent.

"My son…you are my son…"

Hotch watched knowing that they had nearly been too late. Thoughts of his own son flooded his mind and he wanted desperately to hold Jack in his arms. It was getting late and their work was done in this part of the world for now. Home and family had been reaffirmed once again; now it was time to rest.

"Let's go home…let's go home."


	17. Chapter 17

Amelia had heard of her father's arrest; she'd managed to allude her own capture by staying away from the airports and bus stations. The authorities were looking for her and escape would be difficult. Now with her father under arrest as well as his right-hand man, Raphael Santiago, Amelia knew it was up to her to continue what her father had started. Even though she had disappointed him earlier she welcomed the chance to make it up to him. While her father was in jail, she hoped the FBI would assume the threat against Penelope Garcia was over and relax their protective hold on her and when they did, Amelia would take great pride in killing the beautiful blonde. In the meantime, she had other business to attend to.

**LOCATION UNKNOWN – VIRGINIA –**

"How is he, JJ?"

"Garcia, it's heartbreaking; he won't let anyone near Hank. He hasn't said hardly two words he just sits and stares at his son."

"What are we going to do? How do we help him?"

"Time; it's going to take time."

"I need to see him. I need to be there when you guys land."

"Penelope, until Villanuevo's daughter is caught you are still under protective custody."

"She has no business with me now that her father is in jail."

"Don't count on that, Garcie. From what we found out, she is as deadly as her father and even more determined to make a name for herself and to prove to him that she can run the family business."

"Oh JJ! This place is gorgeous, really it is but I'm going stir-crazy! I need my life back; I need my babies and I need to see you guys!"

"We land in an hour; I'll talk to Hotch and see what we can work out but, in the meantime, behave!"

"Me, behave? You're no fun! Be safe!"

"Goodbye, Garcia."

**Carcel Centro – Havana Cuba**

Armando Villanuevo had worked too hard and had spent too much money in details to be held behind bars like a common criminal. He was far from common and in less than an hour he would be a free man. The men and women who held the keys to his freedom owed him their lives and he was already looking forward to making a trip to America. His daughter had not made flight arrangements home which meant she was finding it difficult to return as he had instructed her to do. No worries, he had work for her to do and he would enjoy the reunion with his only child once he made his way to Quantico, Virginia. His only regret was that he could not arrange for Savannah's freedom as well; it would draw too much attention to the fact that he had made a very clever escape and Armando was nothing if not careful…very careful.

"The Cuban government has agreed to extradite Savannah back to the states for trial."

Morgan didn't respond keeping his eyes focused on the sleeping child in his arms.

"Did you hear what I said? The Cuban government is…"

"Yes, I heard you Hotch. I don't want to talk about Savannah right now, okay? I just need to be left alone."

Hotch wanted to say more but he didn't have the words that Morgan really needed to hear; that everything would be alright, that Savannah and Villanuevo would pay for what they had done to him and Hank; but he didn't. So, he sat across from his friend in silence for a few more minutes before standing.

"Hotch."

"What is it, Morgan?"

"Thank you."

"Morgan, you don't…"

"No, I do. Thank you; thank all of you for what you did. You saved my life and my son's life. I owe you all everything."

"We're family; it's what we do."

Morgan shook his head while Hotch returned to his seat next to Rossi. Rossi looked at Hotch with concern as he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed home.

**Home of David and Fran Rossi – **

Fran was relieved to hear from her husband. She was worried about her son and grateful that he and Hank were headed home. What Derek had endured at the hands of monsters concerned her; he'd just begun to find his footing after the first kidnapping, and she wondered what long lasting affects this latest event would have. It was awful, yet she felt her husband was holding something from her; she was afraid to hear what it was.

Fran began flitting around the large kitchen doing what she did best; cooking. When she was happy, she cooked, when she was angry, she cooked and when she worried about her children and her husband…Fran cooked. Today's homecoming menu would be enough to feed an army even though it would be near midnight when the jet would touch down.

**Potomac General – Early Morning**

It was nearly one in the morning when the team arrived at the hospital. Derek didn't see the need for the team to come but they insisted on going while he and Hank were examined. Although Hank had been in the hands of Savannah and his kidnapper, Derek didn't believe that they had harmed his son physically. In fact, he seemed heavier than the last time he'd held him in his arms. There was also the matter of the microchip embedded at the base of his skull.

"Derek how about you get checked in while the nurses exam Hank?"

"I'm not leaving my son."

JJ looked at the others before trying again.

"Morgan…"

"No JJ, I won't leave him!"

"Morgan, what if I go with Hank?" Reid began. "I promise he won't leave my sight; were he goes, I'll go."

Morgan looked at Hank and hugged him tight while planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Okay, but don't take your eyes off of him, you hear me, Reid?"

"I hear you. I won't let him out of my sight."

Reluctantly, he placed the sleeping boy in Reid's arms and watched as Reid walked down the hallway toward the exam room.

"He'll be fine, I promise. Come on let's get you checked out."

JJ gently pulled him by the arm down the opposite corridor toward the nurses' station.

**Home of Dave and Fran Rossi –**

Like her father, Amelia Villanuevo was thorough. He'd taught her to know her enemy and she knew everything about her enemy; family, friends…everything. She was also patient, and she knew that Derek and his friends had landed over an hour ago; sooner or later they would come here to this large palatial house on the corner of Seacrest and Vine. So, pulling her rented sedan across the street, she cut her engine and hunkered down to wait until her prey returned. She didn't know how yet, but sooner or later, Amelia knew that she would have to find a way inside the house.

"_I won't disappoint you again, Papa…I promise."_


	18. Chapter 18

Against his better judgement, Hotch had arranged for Garcia to be brought to the hospital. He knew that even though little Hank had been given a clean bill of health, Morgan would need to see her. Already Penelope had been demanding to see Derek and had threatened to escape twice even though she had no real way of getting past the dozen or more trained agents assigned to protect her. Nevertheless, the threat against his technical analyst was real and as long as Amelia Villanueva was free, they all needed to be careful in not putting Derek or Penelope in harm's way.

**Potomac General – Morning –**

The anxious blonde made it difficult to keep up as she rushed down the hallway toward Derek's room. She'd made it clear that under no uncertain terms, would she be kept from seeing her best friend. So, with the loud clicking of her three-inch heels against the weathered tile of the hospital floor announcing her arrival, she pushed open the door of room 307.

"Baby Girl!"

"Derek!"

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in protective custody."

"I've got my big strong protectors, see?"

"Penelope…"

"I had to see you, Hot Stuff; I had to!"

"I'm fine, Hank is fine, and I'll be out of here in no time."

Penelope came close enough to touch him while the others looked on silently. He wanted her there; he needed her there with him, but he had no right to expect or demand to see her. He'd made his choice when he married Savannah and he would have to live with the consequences of that choice.

Penelope watched the confusion and fear dance in his eyes. He'd been through so much and she felt guilty as if she'd played a part somehow in what had happened to him. She loved him; had always loved him from the moment she'd met him and yet she remained silent and watched as he married a woman who could never know him or love him like she did.

"Derek, I'm so sorry for what you've been through."

"You had nothing to do with what happened to me; that's all on Savannah, Baby Girl."

"Where's my precious god son?"

"With his godfather. The doctors cleared him and so, Reid took him to get something to eat."

"Good, good…we…"

"We…"

"…need to talk." He finished.

The others took this as their cue to leave the two alone in the room as they left taking their positions in the hallway.

Penelope waited until the door closed to begin speaking again.

"I know what that monster did to you, Derek; you won't be out of here,_ in no time._"

"I just meant that, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."

"Tell me not to breathe, that would be easier. Derek Morgan, you're my friend and besides, worrying is what I do best."

"Is that all I am; is that all we are?"

"What?"

"Is that all we are to each other…friends?"

"I was so afraid that I'd never see you again."

"You can't get rid of me that easy, Baby Girl."

"I had so many things I want to say; things I should have said to you so long ago and so many things I promised myself I'd tell you if…"

The door sprung open stopping the long overdue conversation that seemed destined to never take place.

"Hello, Agent Morgan. My name is Dr. Franklin Moore and I'm one of the neurosurgeons on staff here at Potomac General."

"Doctor."

"I'm sorry for disturbing your visit but we really need to talk; time is of the essence."

"Uh…sure…this…this is Penelope Garcia…a…good…friend."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Garcia."

"Penelope. Please call me Penelope."

"Penelope. Uh…may I speak freely?"

"Yes of course, you can say anything in front of my Baby Girl."

Penelope smiled nervously at the doctor then back at Derek.

**Carcel Centro-Havana, Cuba – **

For the life of him Raphael could not fathom why an American Government official would want to speak to him. He had given his statement, which amounted to two words; 'no comment'.

Raphael had been escorted into a small gray room with a large glass window and small cameras attached to the ceilings in each corner of the room. The bright red lights flashed on each camera reaffirming his resolve to keep his mouth shut. Ten minutes passed before the door opened again.

"Raphael Santiago…I'm sorry_, Dr._ Raphael Santiago."

"Yes, and I'll tell you the same thing I told the other officers; I have nothing to say."

The man dressed in an expensive charcoal grey suit was not deterred by his refusal as he sat down in the seat across from him.

"I hope I didn't disturb your afternoon siesta." He chuckled.

Raphael glanced at the far corner of the room reminded that everything he said and did was being recorded. His concern did not go unnoticed by his visitor. One by one the lights on the camera went off as the man smiled confidently at Raphael.

"Now, let's get started. My name is Maxwell Henry with the US Embassy; I've come to offer you a deal on behalf of the American Government."

**Potomac General – **

"The implant is a very sophisticated form of technology that very few people even know exists. It's placed at the base of your skull and…"

Derek and Penelope saw the sudden nervousness come over the doctor.

"And what? Tell me, please, I need to know."

"The intent was for it not to be removed; there seems to be a few safeguards that could very well kill you if we try to remove it."

"So, what does that mean?" Penelope began. "Is he supposed to live with this thing in his head for the rest of his life?"

"It means we have to be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with here."

"Look doc, I've been kidnapped…twice. I've been tortured and beaten and programmed to kill an innocent man. I'd rather be dead than to be someone's robot…someone's killing machine!"

"Derek!"

"No, I mean it Baby Girl! I can't take anymore of this; not being in control of my mind, my life! Not knowing when out of nowhere, I'll be made to do something against my will! I won't live that way!"

"I understand your frustration, Agent, I do but…"

"With all do respect, no you don't understand! Nobody can understand unless they've been through it!"

Penelope placed her hand on his shoulder as he leaned against the pillow and closed his eyes trying desperately to control his emotions.

"Listen, I know it's a lot to process and I…"

"I just want to be alone, please."

Doctor Moore nodded and looked at Penelope sympathetically before turning and heading to the door. Before opening the door, he turned back to face his patient.

"I must warn you Agent Morgan, we don't have a lot of time. The longer we wait, the higher the odds are against us."

Then he was gone, and Derek continued to fight against his emotions. No matter what he did all he could see was his son and it broke his heart that it was a good chance that Hank would grow up without either of his parents. How did his life come to this, he thought; how?

"Handsome…"

"I need some time…please…I just need to be alone."

"I'm not going to leave you…"

"Please; could you just go and check on Hank for me? Tell him…tell him his daddy loves him and…"

"I will, I will." She leaned down and planted a light kiss on his forehead. "I will. Get some rest okay?"

Derek nodded and watched as she reluctantly left the room.

**Carcel Centro – Havana, Cuba – **

"Certain members in the American intelligence community are quite impressed with your work."

Raphael smiled slightly as the man in front of him waiting to hear the real reason for his visit.

"My superiors have empowered me to offer you a deal that could make you a very wealthy man."

"I'm already a very wealthy man, thanks to Armando Villanuevo."

"Oh, trust me, we are willing to offer you enough money to make what Villanuevo has paid you seem like peanuts and as a bonus, you'll once again be a free man."

"What do you have in mind?"

"The doctors in the US have discovered that the implant you have embedded in Agent Morgan's head will be very risky to remove."

"The attempt to remove it will most likely kill him. I designed it that way."

"Yes, yes; it's a marvelous piece of technology, I must admit. Very impressive and it would be ashamed to let it go to waste don't you agree?"

"Definitely. It's my life's work and it's proven to be very successful."

"Yes, yes…I've studied your files at length, and I agree…pure genius."

"Thank you. So, I still don't understand why you are here."

"I want to offer you a deal; a partnership if you will."

"A partnership?"

"Yes; come work for us. You show us how to use this technology; how we can engage Agent Morgan's _new gifts_ to my government's advantage and in turn, you become a disgustingly wealthy and free man."

"And what about Agent Morgan?"

"What about him?"

"He was very difficult to break. In fact, he was the most difficult subject I've ever worked with."

"You just let us worry about Agent Morgan; as difficult and stubborn as he can be, he's just as loyal and protective of the ones he loves and that, Dr. Santiago is his Achilles heel."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Oh, I'm very sure. If you agree to come work for us, Agent Morgan will be the least of your problems."


	19. Chapter 19

Forcing everyone out of his room and insisting on being alone, did not change the fact that decisions had to be made; time was not a luxury he could afford. In his line of work, death was always a possibility; one he brushed off daily as he ran headfirst into danger. But he had a son now who was his entire world and who needed to be safe and taken care of at all cost. As much as he loved Hank, the last several days had planted seeds of doubt in his mind. Listening to Savannah's and Armando's truths made him wonder if he was Hank's biological father. The glances and looks of pity from his friends had not escaped him either and he had to know for certain and if fate took his son, then it didn't matter that he had a piece of metal in his head that could kill him at any time; his life would end. He had to know the truth; the sooner the better.

Reid was surprised to receive the texted message from his friend asking him to return to his room. Spencer had admired Morgan for his strength both physical and mental but with recent events, he wasn't sure how the latest events would change the man whom he'd come to know as a big brother. Nevertheless, no matter what he needed, Reid was determined to help Morgan no matter what.

"Hey, Pretty Boy."

Reid slowly entered the room and approached the bed.

"Hey, I got your message."

"Yeah, I need a favor."

**Central Lockup – Women's Detention – Quantico, VA – Evening**

Savannah was led into the busy building by two armed guards. She'd been in denial about her situation ever since her arrest; believing that Armando would somehow work his magic and rescue her. Unfortunately, there was no magic, no freedom and no escaping the punishment for the sins against her husband. She hadn't seen her son in over twelve hours, and she missed him terribly. This was not how things were supposed to end for her; not at all.

Hotch and JJ had decided to meet Savannah and her armed entourage while waiting for Derek to want visitors again. It would give them time to find out more about why Savannah had willingly participated in such a dastardly scheme against Derek. She had them all fooled; playing such an integral part in the hunt for him. Secretly, they had all suspected her, not fully believing her story about how Morgan had suddenly vanished, but they had to remain objective in hopes to find out the truth; and they did.

Savannah had been involved in an on-again, off-again affair with Armando Villanuevo long before she'd met Derek and had managed to spend time with the older crime lord without Derek's knowledge even after they had married. None of them had spoken it out loud but they all wondered if in fact Derek was even Hank's biological father. Derek had endured a lot; way more than most men could endure but losing his son, would be the one thing that would surely destroy the man who'd proven time and time and again, that he was the strongest person any of them knew. Now, as they watched the woman being led toward booking, they were still stunned; they hadn't seen worse but they were stunned because one of their own had once again become a victim to the evil they fought every day.

Savannah expected to be taken to a cell; instead she was escorted to a small interrogation room. She chuckled to herself as she thought how much it looked identical to many she'd seen on cop shows on tv. It was cold; she hadn't expected that but nonetheless, it made her predicament seem that more unreal.

"Hello, Savannah."

She wasn't surprised to see Hotch and JJ enter the room; of course, they would come, why wouldn't they come to ask her why she'd done what she'd done. She didn't bother to return his greeting but chose instead, to wait for them to sit down.

"I suppose you know why we're here." JJ began.

"How's my son?"

"He's fine."

Hotch watched the woman across from him then without missing a beat he continued.

"Aren't you going to ask about Derek?"

"Why would I? I'd rather ask about Armando. How is he by the way?"

"Armando is behind bars; but you know that already, right Savannah?"

"Are you sure?"

"Excuse me?"

JJ glanced at Hotch, then back at Savannah.

"Are you sure he's behind bars? Armando is very well connected, and I highly doubt a man like him will be spending much time behind bars."

"Armando Villanuevo is a man just like everybody else and he'll be treated like everybody else who has broken the law, Savannah."

"Agent Hotchner, you and I both know better than that. There's a reason that Armando has eluded capture all these years."

"He's a lucky man; until now that is."

"You really believe that, JJ?"

"It doesn't matter what I believe, Savannah. What I know is that both you and Villanuevo will have a lot of years behind bars figuring out where your plan went wrong."

"So, why are you here; to gloat?"

"Why did you do it? Derek is your husband and the father of your child. He loved you, Savannah!"

"Loved? JJ, don't pretend you know anything about my marriage to Derek; he's not the angel you all think he is."

"No marriage is perfect, but Derek would never have done what you did to him! You had him kidnapped and brainwashed and you took his son from him and you were willing to raise him believing that someone other than Derek was his father!"

"Maybe Derek isn't Hank's father."

"Is that what you told Derek; that he wasn't Hank's father?"

"Let's just say I planted enough seeds of doubt to make him wonder."

**Potomac General – **

"Are you sure you want to go down that road, Morgan?"

"I'm sure. I need to know."

"Once you fire that bullet, you can't call it back."

"I said, I'm sure. If Hank isn't my son, then…"

"Then what, Morgan? He's your son in every way that matters! You're the only father he knows. Even in the eyes of the law, Hank is your son!"

"Armando took great pleasure in talking about Hank and what he had planned for him; he told me about all the time he and Savannah spent together and…I just need to know, that's all."

"So, what if he isn't your son; then what? Are you going to abandon him, huh? He'll have no one; no one! His mother will be in prison for the rest of her life and Villanuevo is a vile human being who wants to turn your son into a criminal!"

Morgan hadn't looked past his own broken heart and confused mind. Despite everything Savannah and Villanuevo had done to him, Hank was the real victim. Morgan had married Savannah because of him, and he still remembered the day he was born; too early but fighting to make his entrance into the world.

"So, what do I do? Tell me, Reid, what do I do?"

"You love him; he's your son, Morgan! You love him with everything you have; no doubts, no ifs or buts…He needs you and you need him."

Then there was a knock at the door and before either of the two men could answer, the door opened and to their surprise in stepped Penelope with the sweetest baby boy in her arms who was smiling and eager to get to his father. Morgan and Reid watched as they came closer and instinctually Morgan reached for his son; his son, the little baby boy who even before he was born had given him a reason to live and fight to survive. Now here he was wiggling in his arms totally unaware of the doubt and the pain that swam madly in Morgan's mind and heart.

"Hey big boy, how's my guy doing?"

Hank continued to smile wrapping his little arms around his daddy's neck and snuggling against him as if his life depended on it and perhaps it did…in more ways than one.


	20. Chapter 20

It had been nearly an hour since Fran and Dave had convinced Morgan to allow them to take Hank home with them. Once again, he found himself alone and thinking about what lied ahead for him. He still smelled his son's sweet baby smell on his hands and gown, and it brought him some comfort and loneliness all at the same time. The decisions he'd made for his life; choices that had created the very circumstance that now threatened to take his very life were his fault and his alone.

"Am I interrupting?"

He hadn't even heard the door open.

"No of course not; come in, please."

"I saw Fran and Dave leave with Hank so…"

"Baby Girl, I know you're exhausted; you should be home getting some rest."

"I couldn't leave without saying good night first."

Then it was silent and for a few brief moments neither of them knew where to begin. He beckoned for her to come closer; she hesitated before complying.

"Please sit, I won't bite." Patting the place next to him on the bed.

"Derek…"

"Penelope…"

"We need to talk." They said in unison.

"Please, can I go first?" He asked.

"Okay."

**Home of Dave and Fran Rossi – **

Dave followed Fran into the nursery. He watched as she placed the sleeping baby into the crib. His wife had been so excited when she'd heard that her first grandchild was on the way. She couldn't wait to create a beautiful space for her son's first-born; a place she'd hardly used until now. Savannah had been very selfish and unwilling to let Hank spend the night away from her and so the room went unused. Now, it seemed so natural to have the child here in their home.

Reid along with a uniformed officer made a thorough walk through of the mansion. Dave had taken great care in having the best security system but none of them were taking any chances nor were they willing to underestimate Villanuevo and his associates; they knew it would only be a matter of time before his daughter would resurface with it being nearly impossible for her to escape the city by conventional means.

Each room was checked and re-checked, and an officer was stationed on each side of the property for the night. Reid sent a text to Derek and the rest of the team letting them know that all was secure. He himself was planning to camp out in the nursery with his godson.

"Do you think he'll remember any of this?"

Dave wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her close. The two of them stood in the doorway of the nursery watching Hank settle himself under the blanket.

"No, I don't think so, Bella. The mind has a wonderful way of forgetting in order to protect itself."

"And what about Derek; will he be able to forget?"

"That's another story all together. As we get older, we need to remember in order to heal. Derek has a lot of healing to do."

"My poor son, how much more can he take; how much more?"

Amelia had watched the group enter the mansion. She rubbed the soreness from her neck and tried in vain to find a more comfortable position in the small car with no luck. She'd sat out of sight for hours waiting and watching. It would be difficult to find a way inside with the guards stationed around the perimeter and at least three inside. Impressive, she thought to herself, but she was on a mission to prove to her incarcerated father that she was man enough to run things while he was behind bars no matter who she had to kill in the process.

**Potomac General – Evening –**

"I've decided to go ahead with the surgery as soon as the doctors can get it scheduled."

"Derek…I…"

"Penelope, I need to say something to you in case…"

"Don't…"

"…In case I don't make it."

She couldn't stop the tears slowly making their way down her face.

"I love you. I'm _in _love with you. I always have been, and I've been a fool and a coward for not telling you years ago."

"Derek why are you saying this now?"

"Because I don't want…I don't want to die knowing that you never knew how I felt. I've always been afraid of being rejected; of hearing you tell me that you didn't love me back."

"But I…"

"Let me finish."

"Okay."

"I love you Penelope Garcia; more than anything in this world. You have always been there for me and there's not a moment in the day when I'm not thinking of you. You are my heart and I get it that the thought of loving me is repulsive and disgusting…I get it…"

"Now stop right there, Mister! You married Savannah! You told her that you loved her and that you'd do whatever you had to do to be with her. She had your baby, Derek! You could have told me at any time over these past thirteen years, but you didn't! I had to settle for being your best friend! So, I know that you're scared and all of that but…"

"I did try to tell you!"

"What?"

"Two years ago, I came to your apartment after we'd come back from a case. I wanted to tell you, but you told me to go away; you told me to go to Savannah, that you were tired of picking up the pieces…"

"Oh my god, Derek…I was mad at you for putting your life in danger on that case! You were making bonehead risks and nearly getting yourself killed and I was angry!"

"I thought you were tired of pretending not to see."

"See what, Handsome?"

"I thought you were tired of pretending not to see that I was a messed up, broken man who wasn't worth the risk."

Penelope moved closer on the bed and placed her hand gently on his face. He looked away fighting his own tears now.

"I'm so sorry. I loved you; I still love you, Derek. I was jealous that Savannah was your choice and not me. I was mad because I was too afraid to tell you that I was _in _love with you because…"

"Because what, Baby Girl?"

"Because I'm not your type; I don't look like the other women you date."

"Baby Girl…"

"No, no it's okay. I do alright. I know who I am and I'm comfortable and confident in this amazing skin. It's just that men like you…"

"Men like me?"

"Yes, men like you; they don't notice a woman like me and it's their loss not mine."

"Baby Girl you ever wonder why all of the women I date look like Savannah?"

"Because you have a twisted, narrow image of beauty and…"

"No hardhead. It's because the woman I truly want and truly see as the most beautiful woman in the world wouldn't walk across a crowded room for me. That curvy blonde with the bright red lips and even brighter personality and big heart, doesn't see me as anything but a womanizing, broken man. I have to choose women who are the opposite of you so that I'm not reminded of what I can't have."

"Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"Baby Boy, I see you as a fierce warrior hero; not broken but brave. You're a man who has shown me what love looks like; what it feels like. When I'm with you I'm safe and the fact that you are the most gorgeous man on the planet is just a bonus!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"I love you Penelope Garcia."

"I love you too, Derek Morgan."

Penelope gently laid her head on his chest as he made room for her on the bed. After getting comfortable she spoke again.

"Now what?"

"We trust it; that's all. We let our love outweigh anything else. Do you trust me, Baby Girl?"

"With my life…with my life."


	21. Chapter 21

Derek had been unsuccessful in convincing Penelope to go home so here they both lay in the tiny hospital bed in each other's arms; he hadn't been this happy in a long time. He continued to watch her sleep; holding her as if his life depended on the connection. He wasn't sure what would happen once he was wheeled into the operating room but at least the woman of his dreams knew that he loved her with all his heart; he wished he hadn't waited so long to tell her how he felt.

Penelope slowly opened her eyes and she couldn't stop the smile that crept across her face; Derek's gaze was confirmation that she had not dreamt the night before; their long overdue confessions and the fact that she had spent the night in his arms was all she needed in that moment. She had never been this happy and even though the road beyond the next few hours was uncertain, she was glad that if he didn't make it out of surgery, he would know that she had always loved him; if only she had been brave enough to tell him sooner how she felt.

"Good morning, Baby Girl."

"I'll show you a good morning, Hot Stuff."

"You already have; just waking up to the most beautiful woman in the world is a damn good morning."

"How do you feel?"

He heard the sudden seriousness in her tone and he reassuringly pulled her tight against his body.

"With you here, I feel good."

"Derek…I…"

"Penelope…I don't want you to worry. I'm good, really."

"I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I'm here for you; okay Derek?"

"Yeah, I know you are."

"I love you, Derek."

"I love you, too."

The silence in the room was comfortable nearly lulling the two back to sleep until the door suddenly opened.

"I'm sorry, I hope I'm not disturbing you two."

"Not at all, please come in."

Penelope slowly pulled herself up and got out of bed. Dr. Moore smiled and approached them. Derek sat up waiting to hear what the doctor had to say.

"I wanted to come by to let you know that your surgery is scheduled for ten this morning."

"Wow, so soon."

"It's okay, Baby Girl. The sooner the better."

"We were able to find a doctor that has extensive knowledge in a field of medicine that will help us with your surgery.

"Really? That was quick!"

"Well, it looks like you all are regarded quite highly by the government; some people in very high places got involved when they heard about what happened to you."

"Hmmm…that's odd…"

"Why, Handsome?"

"It's just that I'm simply one of a thousand agents working for the government and most,_ people in high places, _do even know I'm alive."

"I'm sure with what you and the rest of your team do for a living, a lot of people know your name, agent Morgan."

"Still…I didn't know anyone was looking to help me…"

"This could be the miracle we've been praying for, please don't question it. Let's just get you fixed up and home with Hank…and me."

Derek saw the pleading desperation in her eyes and perhaps she was right but there was something nagging him in the pit of his gut that said there was more to this than any of them knew. For now, he'd take his chances and hope he'd come out of the surgery alive and able to resume his life as normal.

"I agree with Miss Garcia; Let's get you fixed up and back home to your son. I'm sure he's missing his daddy."

"I know you're right; you both are. Let's do this."

"A nurse will be in shortly to get you prepped for surgery so no food or anything to drink until then, okay?"

"Okay; thanks doctor."

The couple watched as the doctor left the room. Derek saw the fear and the tears welling up in Penelope's eyes. He knew she would try to be brave for him; he was trying to be brave for her, but the truth of the matter was he was terrified. He hadn't prayed in years now seemed to be a good time to renew his acquaintance with the Lord.

"Wh-what are you doing? Where are you going?"

"I just need to take a walk, that's all."

"But you can't the nurses will be in shortly and…"

"I'm fine! Besides, I walked into the hospital on my own and I'm only here for observation, remember?"

Derek placed his feet on the ground and straightened his gown around his body.

"Derek, please…"

"Hey, listen; can you call my mother and the team and let them know about the surgery, can you do that for me?"

"Yes, yes, I can do that; I can do that."

"Good, thank you baby girl. Now, I'm just going down the hall to the chapel."

"Really, you?"

"Yes, me. I'll be back before the nurses are ready for me."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

**One Hour Later…**

It had been almost fifteen years since Dr. Raphael Santiago had been to the States. It felt good being a free man again, thanks to the nefarious motives of the United States government. He'd gotten acquainted with Morgan's case file and had been introduced to Dr. Franklin Moore; a capable surgeon but out of his league when it came to removing the implant he'd so elegantly placed in Derek's brain. It's funny how things had evolved, he thought to himself. He'd assumed that once he'd been arrested by the Cuban police, his life would be over. Now, it seemed that a whole new life was just beginning for him.

Derek could feel the sedative begin to slowly take effect. Penelope, Fran and the others had been ushered into the hall several minutes before. Now he was alone again fighting the fear that had him on edge and fighting the familiar voices that always haunted him when he was at his weakest, most vulnerable state.

He looked at the faces of his family and friends as his gurney was pushed past them down the hall toward the elevators. Penelope stepped forward and grabbed his hand.

"No tears, Baby Girl; no tears."

She nodded, unable to speak.

"I love you, Penelope."

Again, she nodded, emotions keeping her silent still. The elevator ride was short and with a muted ping the doors opened. His eyes were nearly closed now as the medication was taking control. He was surrounded by voices of masked medical staff as his gurney made its way to OR suite 13. Again, he sent up a prayer.

"Just relax, Agent Morgan, we're going to take good care of you."

Derek's eyes sprung open; he knew that voice! He was afraid of that voice! It couldn't be him!

"Settle down, now or will have to increase the medication, okay?"

Derek felt a looming presence above him, and he fought hard to open his eyes again. Everything around him seemed a dull gray haze but just as he succumbed to the darkness, he saw with crystal clarity.

"_Raphael? No…No…NO!"_

Then just over the man's shoulder he saw the wicked grin of Carl Buford.

"_You were always my favorite, D…do you still like ice cream?"_


	22. Chapter 22

**Potomac General – Afternoon – **

Derek's eyes opened to the blurry faces of his friends and family. All except his sisters, who'd volunteered to stay home to watch Hank, surrounded his bed. Penelope gently wrapped her fingers around his hand as his vision cleared.

"Am I alive?"

Relieved chuckles were heard in the background; Penelope nodded, yes.

"You are very much alive, my love."

"Hank?"

"He's at home with Desiree and Sarah; he misses his daddy."

"How are you feeling, baby boy?"

"Ma?"

"It's me; I'm right here."

She watched the grimace cross his face as his free hand felt the bandage at the back of his head and neck.

"The doctors said you can have something for pain if you want it." Reid offered.

"No, not yet. I'm okay, I just want to go home."

"He's back!" Hotch teased.

Just then Dr. Moore entered the room exhausted but encouraged that his patient was awake.

"Sorry to disturb your visit, but I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing."

"I'm good, doc. Besides this headache, I'm fine."

"Well good. Your surgery went well, and I don't expect any problems down the road."

"When can I go home?"

"I want to keep you for a day or two just to make sure there are no complications or infections."

"Come on, doc…"

"You heard him, now behave."

Morgan looked into the stern eyes of his mother and surrendered. The others laughed at him knowing he'd met his match.

"I would like you to get out of bed and walk around, but make sure someone is with you, okay?"

"Thanks, doc."

The group watched as the doctor nodded and left the room. Once again one of them had dodged a bullet; they'd been lucky, more than lucky and silently they wondered when their lucky would run out, but for now, they'd accept this victory and work together to make sure Morgan healed and got the help he needed.

**El Pico Grande Aeropuerto – Havana, Cuba – **

Armando Villanuevo had found himself a free man shortly after his arrest. No one, not even the idealistic commander who'd arrested him, and insisted on cuffing him personally, would be able to keep him behind bars. Armando was a powerful man, especially in Cuba and there was no way he'd do time. So, after relaxing under a hot shower, packing and handling last minute business affairs he climbed out of his limo and into one of his many privately-owned jets. There would be no flight plan filed, no calling ahead to authorities and no stopping the man who'd planned for such times long before the authorities could organize themselves against him.

"We'll be ready to take off in fifteen minutes, Jefe."

"Bueno, bueno. I'll be glad to wrap this business up, it's gotten far too messy."

"Si, Senor."

Armando's mind was on the two women in his life; both had become liabilities…both he loved dearly and now he was forced to think of the bigger picture of what their roles could play in his demise and he wasn't willing to risk what he'd worked so hard to build. Armando Villanuevo had taken great care in anticipating every scenario and he demanded perfection and loyalty. He knew that without perfection loyalty would suffer and so now the time had come for him to do what he could not trust anyone else to do…tie up loose ends.

**Quantico Plaza Hotel – **

Amelia had long abandoned her vigil in front of the Rossi mansion. Security had doubled and she couldn't take the chance of being caught. Her father had already shared his disappointment with her, and she wasn't about to slip up again. Now he was on his way to her; she was afraid to see the anger in his eyes and she had no words to explain why her assignment had gone incomplete; Penelope Garcia was still alive and the FBI had made it impossible for her to leave the country. So, like the obedient child she was, she sat patiently in her hotel room for her father's arrival.

**Potomac General – Evening – **

Raphael had stayed around most of the day monitoring his patient from afar. "Surgery" had gone well, and Dr. Moore and his staff had cooperated as ordered. Dr. Moore was listed as the surgeon of record and therefore would be the one to answer any questions from the patient and his family. Freedom felt good and if it meant working for the US government while his former boss sat in jail, then so be it.

Dr. Franklin Moore had prided himself in honoring the oath he'd taken years ago. He'd promised to do no harm and to uphold the standards set forth by his profession but now he found himself in a peculiar situation and he wasn't sure what to do. For now, he would satisfy his conscience with knowing that Derek Morgan had survived, and, in a few days, he would leave the hospital and resume his life as normal; that had to be enough, it was all he had to cling to.

Derek's face lit up when Desiree and Sarah walked through the door along with Fran who had a bright-eyed baby boy in her arms. Seeing his son was better than any pain medication and he quickly forgot about the raging headache that had plagued him all day.

"Hey, little man!"

Fran carefully placed Hank in his father's arms which seemed to suit them both just fine. Derek kissed the top of his son's head while Hank wrapped his small chubby arms around his father's neck.

"How are you feeling big brother?"

"I feel better now. I just want to go home."

"You heard what the doctor said."

"I know, Ma; I know."

Sarah placed a foil-covered package on the table near her brother; the smells caused a smile to cross his face.

"Smothered pork chops…"

"…mashed potatoes and asparagus; your favorites."

"Thanks, Ma I appreciate it. This hospital food is horrible."

"Hang in there, when I get you home I'll make up for all the meals you've missed."

"Especially being married to Savannah..."

"Desiree!"

"It's true, Ma, you know that woman couldn't cook! Look at him, he's probably lost ten pounds just in the last month!"

"Enough!"

Sarah and Fran both stifled laughs as they watched Derek turn his attention back to Hank.

"Do you think he will remember her?"

"Derek…" Fran began.

"I mean she's his mother. Will he want to know why she's not around? What do I tell him?"

"He's just a baby, little brother. He's not going to ask questions for a while and when he does, we'll tell him the truth."

"Really? Do you want me to tell my son that his mother tried to have me killed? Do you want me to tell him that she was going to let his father's killer raise him?"

"That's not what Sarah meant, Derek."

"Ma's right; that's not what I meant. We're not going to create some lie; some fairytale but we will figure out a way to tell him enough so that he can handle it."

"I'm sorry, Sis, I just want to go home and put this all behind me. I want to make sure that Savannah and her lover never see the light of day. I want to make sure they never see or touch my son again."

"We all want that big brother; we all want to protect you and Hank. No matter what it takes."

"I know you do; thank Sis, thanks all of you."

Armando's flight was uneventful. He hated flying and he was grateful for the luxury his jet afforded him. It was dusk and he loved how the sunset illuminated the night's sky. He loved the states and it had been several years since he'd been to Quantico. In fact, the last time he was in town was for Savannah's wedding. The two had spent the eve of the wedding together wrapped in each other's arms. Now he was back to take care of unfinished business and to see the one who would have become his heir had things turned out differently. Again, his mind turned to the woman who'd taken captive his heart. She'd given up any semblance of a normal life for him and he owed her. He wanted to see her too, but he didn't know yet how he would pull that off but for now he'd tend to more pressing business.

Armando walked briskly to his waiting limo; just as he got closer the driver opened the door for him and greeted him like a long-lost brother.

"Senior Villanuevo, it's good to see you again. I trust you had good flight."

"Enrique, my trusted friend it's good to see you too. Yes, it was an excellent flight."

Once his boss was settled, Enrique got behind the wheel and started the engine. Then looking through the rearview mirror, he spoke.

"Where to, Jefe?"

"Potomac General Hospital."


	23. Chapter 23

**Potomac General- Late Evening - **

Armando felt comfortable hiding amid the hospital busy-ness. He watched the medical staff rush up and down the hallways, totally unaware of him or his agenda. He also watched as the Federal agents and the others entered the last room on the right. He'd already found out that it was Morgan's room and sooner rather than later he would find himself there too. But for now, he'd be patient and wait for just the right moment. No one would see him, no one would realize that he'd taken care of Agent Derek Morgan and taken back what was rightfully his. He'd take great pleasure in killing the man who'd ruined his chances of living a happy life with Savannah and his heir.

Amelia remembered the countless lectures from her father on the importance of being patient and she'd taken copious mental notes. But this was different; she was desperate to prove her worth to him again. By now he was in the country but like so many times before he'd made her last on his list of priorities. She'd use the time to make things right, without another thought Amelia walked through the hospital doors.

Raphael was shocked to see the small familiar frame enter the emergency room doors. He knew she shouldn't be there knowing that every branch of law enforcement was looking for her. He'd thought of her as his own daughter at times; remembering the days when she was just a small child starving for her father's attention. His heart broke for her then and even now he felt for the woman who still had not found a way into her father's heart.

Whatever she had in mind, he had to prevent her from accomplishing her plans that clearly had not been thought out. Just has she was about to round the corner he quickly grabbed her pulling her into a nearby supply closet.

"Baby Girl, you should get some rest."

"I'm fine, Handsome."

"You haven't eaten, you haven't slept and…"

"I am fine."

"I know you're fine, Baby but..."

"No but's. Besides, we have a lot of time to make up for."

"Yes, we do."

Derek pulled her down and kissed her. Penelope smiled and returned the kiss. She heard his stomach growl and giggled.

"Looks like Fran's dinner has worn off."

"I know it's way too late to eat again but I'm a little hungry."

She kissed him again before reaching for her purse.

"Baby?"

"I can't have my sexy boyfriend starving, so I'm going downstairs to the cafeteria and see if they have anything decent to eat."

"You don't have to do that."

"But I want to; besides I could use a hot cup of tea myself."

"Okay; thanks, Baby Girl."

"I'll be back in a flash."

He smiled as she left the room. Immediately she was shadowed by a suited federal agent who walked alongside her down the hall toward the elevator. Still drowsy from the pain meds that the nurse had given him earlier, Derek closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Armando watched the blonde and her escort pass him and disappear into the elevator. The last guard walked toward the nurses' station and began chatting with the cute petite woman who'd being giving him the eye most of the evening. Armando smiled and stood, placing the old magazine on the table and left the waiting area.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Amelia jerked free from his grasp and turned to face Raphael. She was shocked and speechless for a moment.

"What are _you _doing here?"

"I asked first! Don't you know every cop in the city is looking for you!"

"Of course, I know! I needed to…"

"To what, make things worse?"

"NO, to prove to my father that I can take care of things!"

"Your father is in jail and he'll probably spend the rest of his life there!"

"No. He's. Not!"

"What are you talking about?"

"My father's here!"

"But, how?"

"You know my father, he's very resourceful and no one is going to keep Armando Villanuevo behind bars!"

Armando looked through the small window at the sleeping man. Then slowly pushing the door open, he stepped inside. It would be so easy to take his life before the woman and the guards returned but for a moment, he needed to relish and bask in the fact that he once again held the man's life in the palm of his hands.

Slowly Derek opened his eyes. The blurry vision before him looked familiar and he struggled to clear his vision. It couldn't be, he was in jail in Cuba…there was no way on earth…

"It would be so easy to take your life…so easy."

"What? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to finish our business together but don't worry I won't kill you here, that would be too easy."

Derek threw the blanket back and sat up and placed his feet on the floor.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you for what you did to me; to my son!"

Derek felt weak at first, but the cold floor gave him the power and fueled with anger he began approaching the older man. Slowly Armando took a step backwards toward the door.

"Your son? He's my son now and I will be the one to raise him; not you!"

Derek lunged; he felt his fingers graze the man's shirt just as he quickly stepped backwards out of his reach. The force sent Morgan crashing to the floor. The next second, Armando was gone leaving his arch enemy struggling to get to his feet.

Raphael slowly opened the closet door determined to get Amelia out of the hospital unseen. Just as the two were about to step into the hall, Armando rushed past heading toward the exit.

"Oh my god, he really is here!" Raphael whispered.

"I told you! What are we going to do now?"

"We pray."

Just as Penelope neared Derek's room, she saw his guard running. Picking up her pace she rushed towards the room with her escort close behind.

"I'm fine! Just leave me alone!"

"But Sir…let me help you!"

"No, I said I'm fine!"

"Oh my god, Derek, what happened?"

Derek managed to make it back to his bed moments before Penelope launched herself into his arms.

"I-I found him on the floor…and yelling and…"

"Where the hell were you?" The other agent asked.

"I was...I…took a…"

"Derek are you okay? Please tell me you're okay!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, Baby Girl, really."

"What were you thinking? The doctor told you not to get up without someone with you! You stubborn, stubborn man!"

"No, you don't understand; he was here!"

"Who, who was here?"

"You were supposed to be outside the door! You better have a good reason for leaving your post!"

"I'm sorry, I was just two steps away, I could still see the room and…"

"Agent Morgan, Miss Garcia I am so sorry! Believe me this will never happen again! I'll call right away and get another agent assigned."

The senior agent stood next to Garcia, remorseful and devastated at what could have happened on his watch.

"It's not your fault." Then looking at the other agent who had now retreated to the far side of the room. "Leave!"

"Please, Sir, I'm so…"

"Get out of my room, now!"

Derek pulled Garcia tighter wrapping her in his arms. He could feel her trembling beneath his embrace and inwardly he shuddered at the thought of what could have happened. After a few moments, Garcia pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes. She saw distance, and anger but most of all she saw fear.

"Baby, are you okay? Can I do anything?"

"Yeah…Call Hotch."


	24. Chapter 24

"He was here, Hotch!"

"Morgan, that's impossible, Armando Villanuevo is in jail!"

"No, he's here, and he was in this room!"

Reid rushed in the room with Rossi and JJ following close behind.

"I just watched the security footage and a man matching Villanuevo's description left the hospital fifteen minutes ago and got into a black Mercedes and headed north towards downtown." Reid began.

"JJ call the state department and see what you can find out. If this man is out of jail, I want to know why we weren't informed."

"On it!"

Raphael and Amelia sped away from the hospital. He knew that it would be a matter of time before their paths crossed again with Armando and that scared the hell out of Raphael. Amelia sat silently as Raphael turned the car onto the highway, he saw the anger in her body language; she was so much like her father. It saddened him to think that all of her dreams of pleasing her father had come to this.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you back to your hotel where your father expects you to be!"

"But what about you?"

"I'm going to disappear for a few days. Promise me you won't tell your father that you saw me!"

"But you're my father's friend!"

"Yes, I am, that will never change but I don't want him to think I've betrayed him or worse."

"What could be worse?"

"That I failed him."

"Dave, we need to get Morgan discharged now."

"I'm on it."

"What are you thinking, Hotch?"

"Morgan, you and Garcia are going into protective custody. I'll have a few agents pick up your mother and your sisters and they'll join you as soon as possible."

"I can handle myself, I'm not about to hide from that maniac!"

"No Morgan, I won't take that risk. He's already done enough to you."

"Hotch please."

"No…"

"Wait Hotch, Morgan may be on to something. Maybe Morgan can draw him out into the open…"

"NO! No way, JJ! I almost lost him to that beast; not again! I won't have it!"

Morgan pulled Penelope tightly against him. He could feel the heat radiating from her body as it trembled.

"Listen to me Baby Girl; if we don't bring this man down and fast, a lot of people could get hurt. I don't want you or my family having to hide and live in fear for the rest of your lives."

"Derek, please why does it always have to be you?"

"This is what I do and besides, I have the toughest team in the world who'll have my back." Then looking at his boss. "What do you say, Hotch?"

Hotch returned a stern look at his stubborn agent knowing that he had no choice but to agree with his request. Dave rushed back into the room followed by the doctor and plans were quickly made to get Penelope and the Morgan family to safety.

**Unknown Location – Safe House – Evening**

Penelope and JJ entered the Safe House along with a detail of agents assigned to insure their safe arrival. Jordan was already there, and she embraced the women warmly before showing them to their quarters. Penelope felt safe here it was the same place she'd been rushed to before.

"Thanks Jordan; I'm sure you had better assignments." JJ began.

"I can't think of a better assignment than this. You all have been so kind to me in the past, it's the least I can do. You'll be safe here."

Penelope placed her bag on the bed and walked toward the window. Her mind was on Derek and the crazy plan he'd hatched to draw Armando out into the open.

"I'll leave you two alone."

"Thanks again, Jordan."

Jordan smiled and nodded then closed the door behind her as she stepped into the hallway.

"It's going to be okay, Garcie."

"He should be in the hospital, not out chasing this maniac who has been planning for years to kill him!"

"No one was going to talk him out of this; no one. He's stubborn and determined and well, that's…"

"…a recipe for disaster…a beautiful, beautiful disaster. JJ, I can't keep going through this; wondering if he's going to come home after a case or if someone from the past will jump out of the dark and take him away! I can't do it!"

JJ joined her friend and wrapped her arms around her.

"Garcie, you and Morgan have loved each for too long to finally get it together and then you decide you can't handle what he does for a living? He needs you! He needs to know that in this insanity that we live in he has one person that will be there for him at the end of the day."

"I know, I know I'm just so afraid that this time he won't come back."

Armando had doubled back and parked across the street in the dark shadows from the hospital. He watched as the team split up and headed in different directions. No doubt they would try to protect Morgan's family and then they would come after him; but he'd be ready. He hadn't survived this long to fall for any traps they would try to set for him. Armando Villanuevo was a patient man and so he'd wait for his prey to come to him. In the meantime, he had unfinished business with his wayward child and a long-time friend who had no idea that he knew that he too was in town.

**Quality Plaza Hotel- **

Amelia paced the floor of her small room; it would only be a matter of time before her father arrived. She was nervous and afraid of what he would do when saw her. She'd spent her entire life trying to live up to his standards. He wanted a son; he'd been cursed with a daughter and she wanted to make up for fate's cruel twist. She watched how he doted over Savannah's child as if he'd finally received the most precious gift. He never looked at her that way and for that, her heart would forever be broken.

He let himself in; she had no idea how he had a key but he stepped through the door as if she were the intruder instead of him.

"Amelia!"

"Papa."

She stood still waiting for him to speak again.

"Well, aren't you going to greet me?"

Then quickly she approached him and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's good to see you, mi hija; I've seen you've been busy too."

"What?"

"You're little visit to the hospital earlier."

"But…How…"

"I saw you and my old friend Raphael! There's very little that I don't see, little one. You should know that by now."

"I'm sorry Papa. I just wanted to take care of Agent Morgan! I wanted to show you that I could handle anything that threatened to take you down."

"Take me down? Don't be silly! If that were your concern, then you should have slit your own wrists!"

Amelia pulled away and looked deep into her father's eyes searching for any sign of compassion; all she saw was blackness.

"Now what?"

"Now I will show you how to clean up the messes of incompetence!"

Amelia struggled to hold back her tears. She had been taught not to cry, not to show weakness and not to fail; but she had. She wondered if he would ever forgive her.


	25. Chapter 25

**Quality Plaza Hotel- Evening –**

Amelia wanted to stay in her father's embrace forever. She felt warm and safe in his arms and just for a brief moment she allowed her mind to wonder what it would be like if her father loved her; truly loved her. It had been a fairytale she knew but still she envied every little girl who could brag that she was daddy's little princess. That had never been her life and it never would be but for just a little while she would lay against his chest and close her eyes while she fought back the tears.

Armando slowly ran his fingers through her hair. She'd tried so hard to please him and yet he had found himself disappointed in her. Even now he could feel her trembling and fighting the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

"My little one; so small, so tough."

"Papa?"

"Yes, my daughter?"

"Please forgive me, please."

"Of course."

Then she felt a sharp prick against her chest that took her breath away. She'd never felt pain like this before. Mercifully he released her from his grip, and she managed to look up into his eyes. Wide-eyed she could no longer hold back the tears. She saw the sorrow and the confirmation in his eyes as her hands found their way to her chest.

"Papa, why?"

He smiled slightly as she raised her bloody hand just above her heart. He didn't answer, he just watched as her knees became weak and buckled beneath her.

"Papa…"

"My little one…so precious…I had to…I had to clean up your mess."

Then like a feather Amelia's petite frame floated as if in slow motion to the floor. Her eyes remained open and still as if watching in disbelief as her father turned and left the room.

**Airport – **

Raphael was no fool and he knew that it would only be a matter of time before Armando would come after him. So, he made his way to the gate as his flight began to board. His business was finished here for now and his new employer knew how to find him when his services became needed again. He didn't want to think what would happen to dear Amelia, the young woman who'd became almost like a daughter to him. Armando did not accept failure, not from anyone and so their reunion would be the distraction he needed to get out of town.

**Location Unknown #2 – **

"Relax Morgan."

"Hotch, I can't relax; not until that Bastard is back in jail or…"

"Or what?" Reid asked.

"Or dead!"

"Morgan, you've got to calm down."

Morgan shot an annoyed glance at his friend and stopped pacing and took a seat on the couch. His safe house was nowhere near as luxurious as where Penelope had been taken and that was fine with him. He needed this nightmare to be over and most of all he needed his family to be safe from Villarreal's grasp.

"Okay, Hotch, what's the plan?"

"We need to draw him out in the open."

"Come on, Hotch he's going to expect us to try and trap him."

"But his ego is going to demand a face to face show down, Morgan." Dave interrupted.

"So, let's give him one."

"This is for all the marbles you know that, right?"

"I know, I know."

"Listen, if something goes wrong, you're Mother will kill me."

"Nothing's going to happen, Old man."

**Meantime…**

Armando knew that Morgan and his friends would come after him, but he hadn't managed to survive this long by accident. He wasn't about to be taken easily; not before killing the man who'd taken the one thing that meant the most to him. He wanted to look Morgan in the eyes and just before taking his life he wanted the man to admit that he had won.

Armando had taken the liberty of taking the room next to Amelia's and as he washed her blood from his hands, he watched the blood disappear down the drain. He needed a plan; while surely Morgan would try to draw him out in the open, he had to draw him out and away from his friends. Derek Morgan was a hero and heroes were fools always willing to run toward danger instead of away from it. That would be the man's undoing. Armando would force him to run to him and then he would take his life.

**2 Days later…**

Two days had gone by with no sighting of Armando and no attempt from the man to get Morgan's attention. The Director had called the team back to the BAU and insisted that they get back to work. No matter what Hotch said, the Director demanded their return. The best Hotch could do was convince the director to let Garcia stay in protective custody along with Derek's mother and sisters for at least another week.

Morgan was livid and so was Dave as the team returned to BAU headquarters. Just as they all stepped off of the elevator, they were met by a frantic Agent Anderson who had been called in to work with a temporary technical analyst while Penelope was away.

"We found him! We found him!"

"Who?" Hotch asked.

"Villarreal! I've been having our temp run periodic checks on Airport security footage and he just popped up!"

"Where? How did he get past the TSA; we have an alert out for him?"

"He rented a private jet under someone else's ID. If we hadn't been looking for him everywhere, we would have missed him sneaking onto the jet."

"Call the airport and have that jet grounded!"

"It's too late!"

"What?"

"His jet took off two hours ago."

"But you just said…" Dave interrupted.

"The footage we've been checking isn't real time. He's gone…I'm sorry guys…"

"That sonofabitch!" Morgan yelled. "Now what?"

"We wait; we wait." Hotch answered.

Armando poured himself a glass of champagne and relaxed against the cream-colored leather seats. He'd managed to escape under the noses of the FBI and the sorry excuse for security at the airport. Now, the games would begin again, Morgan and his friends would never see him again until he was ready.

Armando was a patient man; a very patient man and the thought of killing Derek Morgan gave him a thrill.

"_I'll be back, Derek Morgan…I'll be back…"_


	26. Chapter 26

**2 Months later…**

**Home of Derek Morgan- Morning –**

It had been two months; Derek and the rest of the team had all returned to Quantico taking cases while still secretly waiting for Villarreal to strike. It was exhausting and the bureau chief had already warned them of the consequences of their clandestine operation to catch the elusive Armando Villarreal. Cruz and the other bureau higher-ups had closed the case and insisted that Villarreal was in the wind and had most likely lost interest in Morgan.

Morgan didn't believe it; he had gotten to know the deranged egomaniac and he'd experienced up close and very personal just what he could and would do to anyone who posed a threat to him. Derek also knew that as long as Villarreal occupied his every waking moment then the man had already won, and it would be as good as if he had already put a bullet in his head. Already he could see the cracks in his relationship with Garcia and his team was already compensating for him being distracted in the field. Most of the time Hotch would leave him behind to work with Garcia instead of allowing him in the field and that didn't sit well with him. Confrontations with his boss had become a regular occurrence at the round table and he was on his last strike.

He was pulling away from her. She thought after they returned home their relationship would continue to grow into something permanent, but he'd become distant and more often then not he insisted on spending his free time alone. Her insecurities were on tilt and she wondered if he regretted everything that he had said and promised her. She'd never fought for him before instead she'd hidden her feelings for him behind a façade of friendship; but friendship was no longer enough. She had to hold onto the fact that she knew him better than he knew himself and in her moments of sanity she knew exactly what he was doing. It wasn't a matter of not loving her or changing his mind; it was about protecting her and keeping her out of Armando Villarreal's crosshairs. So, she'd let him have his space and she'd watch his back when he thought she wasn't looking. It didn't matter what the bureau ordered; the case was not closed not until the man who'd almost killed Derek was back behind bars or dead.

**BAU Headquarters – **

Derek was the last to arrive for the briefing and he avoided Hotch's glare as he quickly took the seat next to Garcia. He was hoping not to be left behind this time be he knew that the likelihood of him going with the rest of them was slim to none. He began to wonder if his days of usefulness with the BAU were over. Villarreal had taken everything that mattered to him; his wife and everything that he thought was real was nothing but dust. His career was teetering on a cliff and his life with Garcia was crumbling as well. All he wanted was to find and fight his demons; his past and his present had collided and conspired to destroy him and at this moment he felt his back on the ropes and he was gasping for air.

"The bodies of three women have been found around the center of Manhattan over the last three weeks. All of the women have been raped and strangled and their naked bodies left at bus stops in the late evening or early mornings while most people were still asleep." Hotch began.

Pictures of the victims appeared on the screens as each agent reviewed the files in front of them. One by one they gave their opinions on what had happened and why. Morgan remained silent which was not like him. Rossi was the first to notice that this was becoming his stepson's new normal and he didn't like it.

"Derek, what's your take?"

"What?"

"You're an expert on obsessional crimes, what do you think?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course, it matters you're a part of this team…"

"Really, okay, well let's see; these victims are symbols of someone in the unsub's past that humiliated or emasculated him."

"Why do you say that?" Hotch asked.

"Because of what he did to them; all of them were mutilated below the waist and their faces are disfigured and he cut their hair."

"Wow, whoever pissed this guy off, really pissed this guy off!" JJ added.

"Well if he sticks with his current MO, there'll be another body before we get to New York; wheels up in thirty…Morgan…"

"Yeah, I know, I know Hotch, I'll be staying behind with Garcia."

"No, I want you with us; you too Garcia."

**Athens, Greece – Afternoon –**

Armando had settled into his new villa. It was much smaller than his last home, but it was important that he kept a low profile. He'd always wanted to live in Greece, but he hadn't expected it to become a reality so soon. At any rate, he was here and had gotten comfortable in the solitude and tranquil surroundings.

It had been two months; two months since he'd escaped capture and had suffered losses that he'd blamed on Derek Morgan. He'd stolen Savannah and the son that should have been his and now even his daughter and best friend were gone. The thought of killing the man was the only thing that kept him going these days and even his criminal activity had slowed down over the last few months. Nothing could take his focus from his plans to walk back into Derek Morgan's life one last time. Even now, he was packing for a trip to New York; it would be a meeting that no one would see coming and no one would be able to protect the man that everyone deemed invincible. He wasn't invincible, Armando knew it; he'd broken him before and he'd do it again, just before he took his life.

**New York Police Department- Manhattan Division – Evening –**

Just as they'd expected another body had been discovered before their arrival and even after five hours since their arrival they were still at a lost as to who they were looking for. The team had set up in an office near the far end of the building. Garcia had spent the last hour doing searches for the case and secretly working on searches of a more personal matter. Derek wasn't the only one who had not been able to let things rest and the man that had nearly destroyed the man she loved was still free to come at him again. So, as the team conducted their final debrief and planned for the next day, she sat alone…hunting.

"Garcie we're ready to head to the hotel."

JJ entered the room and closed the door. She knew exactly what her friend was doing, and she was worried.

"Please tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing!"

Garcia didn't respond she merely sat motionless in front of her screens.

"Garcia!"

She couldn't believe what she was seeing; after months of searching under every imaginable cyber rock and nearly giving up the idea of ever finding him…there he was.

"Garcie? What's wrong?"

"I found him."

"What? Who?"

"Armando Villarreal; I found the son-of-a-bitch."

"You're kidding. Where is he?"

"Here!"


	27. Chapter 27

**New York Police Department – Manhattan Division – Evening –**

"Garcia!"

She couldn't believe what she was seeing; after months of searching under every imaginable cyber rock and nearly giving up on the idea of ever finding him…there he was.

"I found him."

"What? Who?"

"Armando Villarreal; I found that son-of-a-bitch."

"You're kidding. Where is he?"

"Here!"

JJ stepped closer to confirm the information for herself even though she had no doubt in her friend's abilities to find anyone and anything.

"You can run but you cannot hide." JJ uttered to herself.

"Damn straight! He's been tracking us ever since Derek was discharged from the hospital."

"He's good."

"He's not good; he has the money to hire the best."

"We've got to tell Hotch…and Derek…"

"NO!"

"What are you talking about, Garcia? Are you saying we should keep this from them?"

"No, I just…wait I need a moment, JJ. This man nearly killed Derek. He stole his life and…"

"What the hell!"

The two women never heard Morgan enter the room. He was fixated on her computer screen now and even if they were able to respond, he wouldn't have heard them.

"Derek…"

"What is this, Garcia? You found him? You weren't going to tell me?"

"No, it's not…I just found him…not even five minutes ago…I just needed to…"

"To what, Garcia?"

"To-to…process it all and…"

"No, no you should have called me immediately!"

"Derek, Penelope is not the enemy here! Calm down! She just discovered this! She never stopped looking for Villarreal, never! Even when the bureau told her, told all of us to stop; she never did!"

Derek knew that JJ was right; he knew Penelope wasn't the enemy, far from it. He was overwhelmed in the moment flooded with memories of Savannah's betrayal and everything that Villarreal had been done to him. Armando Villarreal had nearly succeeded in killing him and taking everything that was important to him. Still, he couldn't focus, and he couldn't let either of the women know that he understood. The rage inside kept him from acting rationally. Later he would be sorry.

"I'm sorry Hot Stuff, JJ's right I…"

"Stop, just stop! I can't be here right now. I need some air; I've got to get out of here!"

"Derek! Derek! DEREK!"

Hotch heard the commotion and as he rushed toward the conference room Derek ran past him nearly knocking him down. JJ and Garcia met Hotch in the hallway frantic and wide-eyed.

"What's going on?"

"Garcia found Villarreal."

"What? That case is closed! We were ordered to stop looking!"

"I'm sorry Sir, I just couldn't; I had to find him! Derek would never be Derek again until we did!"

Hotch was furious, but he knew she was right. There would be serious repercussions, but he'd have to deal with that later. Now they had more serious matters to deal with. Dave and Reid rushed after Morgan in an attempt to stop him from leaving.

The two found Morgan standing outside. He was lost not knowing what to do next or what to think. Dave and Reid stopped one on each side of him and waited for him to acknowledge that they were there.

"I know, I know; I can't keep letting my feelings get the best of me."

"Nobody can blame you Morgan, nobody." Dave began.

"You almost died Morgan."

"Yeah I know Pretty Boy, I just can't get over what happened."

"Let's go back inside, we'll talk it out."

Dave gently placed his hand on Derek's arm. Derek pulled away and began running his hands over his head trying to make sense of it all.

"That son-of-a-bitch has been watching me all this time! I can't shake him, and I can't catch him!"

"Derek…"

"No Reid, this has to stop! It has to stop now or…"

Derek couldn't finish his sentence he was afraid to speak what had always been on his heart and mind from the moment his team had found him in Cuba.

"Or what? Or what, son?"

Morgan looked at both men with tears welling in his eyes.

"I need your help."

**Belinda's Café – **

Armando found the scene across the street quite interesting. Three men in a heated conversation piqued his curiosity. He'd always been a patient man but had not expected to see Derek Morgan this evening. It was getting late and by now the agents should have been long gone. Armando knew better than most that evil never punched a timeclock and so he continued to watch as the scene played out.

After several more minutes, Derek, Rossi and Reid re-entered the precinct. Garcia, and JJ watched as Morgan approached Hotch.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Morgan."

"No, I do and Garcia, JJ, I'm so sorry. Guys, I know I've been unbearable these last few months. The truth is, I owe you all my life a million times over."

Garcia approached him and he quickly pulled her into his arms and kissed her unapologetically on the lips. The two shared weary smiles as Dave slowly closed the conference room door.

"Derek has a plan and I think we all better sit down before we hear what it is."

**One Hour Later…**

**Marriott Manhattan – **

It had been a quiet ride to the hotel; everyone was exhausted; physically and emotionally. It had been an eventful day with their case taking some unexpected twists and turns but nothing could have been more unexpected then discovering that Armando Villarreal had been watching and following them for months. Derek's plan had caused more reaction and more emotion and now everyone was on edge unsure what the next few days would bring to their family.

Very seldom was Garcia silent and very seldom had she been without words on just about anything that had to do with Derek; but she'd said all she had to say and in the end nothing she had said mattered or had changed his mind. So, she tightened her grip on his hand and allowed him to lead her into the room that they would share for the night.

He knew she was upset; he was upset too but there was no other way to end his nightmare with Armando. He knew it would be only a matter of time that the evil man would come after him in the most hideous way. The man had learned all about him during his captivity. He knew the people who meant the most to him and Derek could not risk any of his family falling victim to his evil.

He watched Garcia walk into the bathroom. Moments later he heard the water running. Normally, she would have undressed in front of him as an invitation for him to join her; but not tonight. Tonight, she simply closed the door and left him alone in the room. He wanted her and needed her. He didn't want to think that this could very well be their last night together.

She heard the door open and as he stepped into the bathroom, she kept her back to him as she faced the black tiled wall. The cold air hit her back as he joined her in the shower. She wanted him, desperately but she was mad at him. The water hid her tears that now were running uncontrollably down her face. Without saying a word, he wrapped her in a warm bear hug pulling her tightly against his chest.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear.

"Why Derek?"

He kissed her neck, again and again without answering her question. She knew why it had to be him.

"Why does it always have to be you?"

He turned her to face him and he saw past the water to her tears as he lightly ran his hand down her face pulling her chin up and planting a soft kiss on her lips.

"I love you Garcia."

She opened her eyes. He was serious and her fear increased. He rarely called her Garcia unless he was upset or emotional…or determined. She knew she would not try to change his mind again.

"I love you too, Derek."

Derek ran his hands lightly down her body as if for the very first time, stopping occasionally before moving on. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen; ever been with. He needed to show her just what she meant to him because no matter how hard he tried he didn't have the words to say it. He kissed her again; her lips, her neck and every inch that he could reach from a standing position.

"Derek…" She gasped.

Derek knew what she wanted and lifted her up and off of her feet. Penelope wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and placed her hand firmly against the shower wall. He did the same placing his hand next to hers. As he entered her, she glanced at their hands; Derek's a golden shade of caramel and hers, creamy white. She chuckled as he began a slow smooth rhythm, in and out, in and out. Her eyes were fixated on their hands against the black tile. _In and out, in and out—faster this time. _She was reminded of s'mores; it seemed funny at a time like this that she'd be thinking of s'mores. But the colors of black and caramel and creamy white reminded her of the softness and warm gooey-ness and the crunchy hard outside of s'mores. It also reminded her of sweetness and how the inside of the sugary treat had to change before it could be enjoyed; the chocolate and the marshmallows had to change they had to become warm and melted beneath the crusty cracker. That's how they were; warm and soft melted by life and fire and molded together into something brand new and held together in a hard, sweet love.

"Why are you smiling?" He asked. "Where'd you go?"

"I'm right here, Baby Boy. It's just that I've missed this; I've missed us."

He moaned as he increased his speed. Her moans began to match his as she suddenly found it hard to breathe. They were in sync, matching each other's movements and moans, breaths and heart beats until they'd given all that they had and erupted into a blissful explosion. He held her in place against the wall he'd wanted it to last much longer but he'd never felt such intensity between them so quickly. For a brief moment he wondered if what he was planning was a mistake.

She saw something in his eyes as he slowly pulled out of her and placed her back on the floor. She hadn't seen it since he'd paid her a late-night visit long ago. She'd refused to let him in, refused to listen to his pleas of desperation; it was the night she thought she'd lost him forever.

"_Why does it have to be you? Why does it always have to be you?" _She thought to herself.

She pulled him close holding on for dear life. He had made love to her in those brief moments as if the world were coming to an end…and for her, perhaps it was.


	28. Chapter 28

**Marriott Manhattan – Morning –**

Hotch had gathered the team in his and Rossi's room for last minute instructions. It was important that they were all on the same page, no mistakes, no hotdogging and no playing lone wolf. They had to be of one mind and one plan; there was too much at stake. Even now Hotch felt uneasy but he needed to honor his friend's request to bring an end to Villarreal's grip on his life.

"There's no telling when or if Villarreal will strike. All we know is that he's here and he's watching us."

"Don't you think we should let the local police in on what's going on?" JJ asked.

"No. Villarreal's reach is endless and we're not sure if he's already infiltrated this precinct. We need to exercise and overabundance of caution."

"Morgan, are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure, Dave. I need my life back. As long as Villarreal is out there, I'm a liability to all of you. I won't be able to live with myself if anything happened to any of you because I wasn't on top of my game."

"Okay then it's set. None of us is to go anywhere alone, especially Garcia and Morgan. I don't care if you're going to the bathroom, you take one of us with you; understood?"

Everyone nodded affirmatively and grabbing their belongings headed out to the police station. Morgan wrapped his arm around Garcia's waist. He felt her resist for a brief moment before allowing him to escort her out of the room.

"It's going to be okay, Baby Girl, I promise."

"Derek, you can't promise that. If something happens to you…"

"Penelope…"

"No Derek, you can't make a promise like that! You don't know what may happen and seems to me that it doesn't matter what I want or think!"

The others turned and watched the heated exchange between the couple.

"Baby, I'm sorry, I have to do this! This man isn't going to rest until he takes everything from me, including you! I have to end this; please tell me you understand?"

Penelope pulled away from Derek and walked ahead of him in tears. JJ quickly fell into step beside her. Derek watched her walk away not sure what to do or say.

"Let her go."

"I, I have to go…"

"Let. Her. Go. Give her time."

"Dave, am I wrong? Is this plan wrong?"

"You're the only one who can answer that Morgan."

"This is breaking her heart. Why can't she see that I'm doing this to protect her?"

"Because she loves you and she saw how it looked and felt to almost lose you. She understands why you're doing this, but it doesn't mean she's going to like it."

**New York Police Department – Manhattan Division – **

Armando had arrived early and taken a front row seat at an outside café across the street. He smiled as the two SUV's pulled to a halt and one by one the team entered the precinct. He'd waited a long time for this day, and he knew that they would be waiting for him to make a move. He hadn't lived this long, this successfully by being a fool. He was too smart to think that they did not know by now that he was in the city, so he waited sipping on a cup of hot black coffee. This was going to be a good day, a very good day.

To the naked untrained eye, things looked normal among the federal agents from Quantico. They continued to work the case that had brought them to the city, coming and going two at a time for most of the day. For the most part Morgan and Garcia had not strayed far from the station with Morgan leaving only to interview a witness and to grab breakfast for the team. Villarreal had not made a move and as each hour passed, the team wondered if this would take longer than they had hoped for. Still, each member remained vigilant and took no unnecessary chances.

Morgan was worried about Garcia. She'd been unusually quiet all day keeping herself busy with searches that did not leave much time for conversation. He knew that she wasn't in the mood to talk but she was always in the mood for caffeine, so he made his way to the coffee pot across the hallway. Since the breakroom was surrounded by windows and within view of his team, he didn't bother to announce his coffee run.

Grabbing a mug and blowing the dust away from it he poured the hot brew to the brim.

"Excuse me, are you Agent Morgan?"

Morgan turned toward the small timid voice.

"Yes, I'm Agent Morgan."

"I'm Tamika Brown, Officer Tamika Brown."

"Nice to meet you, Officer Brown."

The woman continued to walk toward him until she was next to him. He watched as she extended her hand; she was holding something, a picture.

"This is my daughter."

Puzzled, Derek took the picture.

"Cute kid. I have a son about her age."

"So, you'll understand why."

"Why what?"

Then he saw the gun in her hand.

"Why you have to come with me; now."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm saving my daughter's life. He said he'd kill her if you don't come with me."

"But…"

"Now agent!"

Morgan began looking around, no one had noticed that he was not alone in the break room and even if they had, they would never suspect the petite woman showing off a picture of her baby. Morgan nodded and took a step toward the door.

"Wait."

"What now?"

"He says to tell you that he's watching her; he has eyes on her and if you try to warn her or the others, she's dead and my daughter is dead."

"Okay, okay."

"There's a hallway toward the left as you step out of this room. Most people don't even know it's there, but it leads to the alley; let's go!"

Without a word Morgan did as he was instructed fearing that Penelope or another member of his team would look up and cause the woman to do something even more dangerous. His agenda had not changed and that was to protect them all.

Morgan and the officer walked quickly down the seldom-used hallway and out the back door.

"I'm sorry…"

"Hello Agent Morgan, it's been a while."

Morgan stared into the steely black eyes of his worst nightmare. Armando Villarreal smiled confidently as he held a gun trained on Morgan.

"My daughter, please you said if I did what you wanted you would free my daughter!"

"Not to worry."

Without taking his eyes off of Morgan Armando pulled a phone from his pocket and pressed a button and handed it to the frantic officer.

"Ma! Are you and Nina okay?"

Then with a sigh of relief she closed her eyes and handed the phone to Armando.

"Thank you…thank you…"

"You can leave them now. Everything is fine here and I want to keep my promise to this dear young lady." He ordered.

"_Si jefe!"_

"Now, go back into the station and let Agent Hotchner know that I have his man and that when I'm done with him, I'll be in touch so he can come and collect the remains."

The young woman quickly ran back into the police station. Morgan knew now that time was important and everything from this point on would determine if he lived or died. He didn't think that Armando would make his move so close, in fact, inside the precinct but he was even more determined to kill him then Morgan realized and so it was the just the two of them now and he waited for the moment that he could make his move and end Villarreal for good.

"Now what? You got me, let's get this over with."

"So impatient, agent. Not so fast, I'm running things now and I plan to have some fun before I kill you!"

Morgan watched a strange smile cross the man's face; it was the smile he remembered when they'd first met. Doom crept over his body and his heart rate sped up, something was wrong, very wrong…then he felt excruciating pain as something came down hard on his head knocking him to the ground. His eyes fluttered trying desperately to make sense of what was happening as the wet slimy ground kissed him goodnight.

"Pick him up, put him in the van! Hurry!"


	29. Chapter 29

**New York Police Department – Manhattan Division – Morning –**

"Agent Hotchner! Agent Hotchner! I'm sorry I'm so sorry! They got him! They got him!"

The young woman nearly ran into Hotch's arms in hysterics. They didn't have to be told, they knew the worst had happened; far sooner than they had expected but nonetheless, they had planned for all possible scenarios all they could hope for was that there'd be no mistakes.

"Please, calm down! Tell us what happened."

"I received a call from my mother, two men were at her apartment with guns. Then one of the men got on the phone and told me they needed a favor and if wanted to save my daughter and my mother I'd do what I was told."

The woman spent the next few minutes explaining in detail what had happened after Morgan had been lured into the alley. Penelope's heart rate sped up and a sense of doom washed over her. As if on reflex she ran to her computers and began hitting keys at lightening speed. They'd gone over this time after time and he'd assured her it would work, that she and the others would be able to find him if she stuck with the plan.

She wasn't expecting her tablet to go off so soon. They'd expected Armando to strike later in the day or maybe that evening but not this early. Her eye caught sight of the late model van headed out of the alley and the beep on her tablet told her that she needed to stay close. Emily turned on the engine and fell behind vowing not to let her friend out of her sight.

Hotch's phone rang and the room went silent. He knew who it was; only he and Dave had known she was in town. He'd called her when they had gotten the request from NYPD to assist them on a case; a little more backup wouldn't hurt and if Villarreal struck, he wouldn't be expecting her.

"You're on speaker."

"I'm following a white late model van headed down Broadway. He seems to be in a bit of a hurry."

"Emily?" JJ gasped.

"What?" Penelope began momentarily taking her attention away from her computers.

"We'll explain later." Hotch promised.

Armando along with one of the men began searching Derek while he lay on the floor of the van still unconscious.

"Check everything, I'm sure he has a tracking device on him. They were expecting me, just not so soon." He chuckled.

"Found it Jefe; the watch see?"

Armando grind as his man pulled the small disc from the back of Derek's watch. Then with a sense of accomplishment, Armando tossed the device and the watch from the window.

"Hotch, I just lost one of the trackers."

"Good, now hopefully he won't find the second one." Dave added.

"Three."

The team turned toward Penelope as she turned to meet their stares."

"Three?" Reid asked.

"Yeah…I placed a third tracker that Derek doesn't even know about."

Everyone exchanged glances and smirks with each other as they shook their heads.

"What? That's my man and I'm not taking any chances when it comes to him!"

"Well, thanks Garcia. Let's go bring him home." Hotch ordered.

**Abandoned Warehouse – **

Armando and the others pulled into an area of warehouses that at one time had been bustling with activity but now stood quiet, worn and isolated. Most residents of the city had long forgotten his part of town existed. Perfect for what Armando had in mind.

Derek was carried into the warehouse by the two men as Armando led the way. He gloated as the men tied their prisoner to a rusty chair. Derek began to awaken and his eyes began to adjust to the dimly lit room. As Armando paced a small circle around him the dust that had laid for many years undisturbed began to fly wildly in the air. The smell of damp mildew itched as he inhaled and fought to gain his bearings.

"Welcome, Agent Morgan, glad to see you have rejoined us."

"Where am I?"

"This is where you will spend your final moments, so I guess you can call it home."

Armando and the other two laughed; the humor was lost on Derek as he struggled against the bindings around his wrist.

"Why do you hate me so much? You don't even know me, and I've never done anything to you." Derek asked calmly.

"Oh, but you did, agent. You took the one person I loved more than anything in the world."

"Savannah? I didn't know you were involved with her. So, if anything you should be mad with her."

Derek felt the sting of Armando's fist across his face at the mention of Savannah. Turning his head to spit the blood on the floor, he was met with another hit and another.

"But not to worry, I know she loves me and soon after you're dead, I will raise our son to be just like me."

"Your son?"

"Yes, my son. Hank is the son that Savannah will share between us. He won't remember you and he will be groomed to be the king of all that I have acquired."

"Hank is not your son!"

"He will be strong, not weak like…like you!"

"Hank. Is. My. Son!"

"Are you sure, agent? Are you?"

Emily made her way toward the warehouse entrance. She was surprised that Villarreal had not made any effort at securing the front of the building. Slowly she searched the perimeter to make sure there were no surprises. Checking her watch, she called the team for an update on their arrival.

"We're five minutes out, Emily."

"Good, Armando seems to be having a good time using Derek as a punching bag. I'm out numbered, and I don't want to get him killed, so I'll stay put until you all get here."

"Sounds like a plan, in fact we're parking now."

"I get it."

"What do you get?"

"It must make your flesh crawl when you think about all the nights me and Savannah spent together while you lay awake and alone in that big lonely villa, am I right?"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Think about it Armando, she could have been with you, but she chose me!"

"Shut up!"

"Damn it Derek, what are you doing? Do you want him to kill you?" Emily said to herself as she listened from the door.

"How did it feel to know that Savannah was pregnant, and it was with me? Did you think I'd let you raise my son?"

The blow to his midsection caught him off guard because it had come from one of the men who until now had stood by silently observing the two sparring against each other. Then the other man joined and began hitting Derek as well.

"Enough!"

The two men did as they were told.

"I thought by now you would have learned that I always win; ALWAYS!"

Morgan, now in pain and gasping shook his head, no. He wasn't giving up not now and not to this man. He'd promised Penelope that the plan would work and that he'd be home with her again.

Hotch and the others joined Emily at the door, and he couldn't help but see the relief on her face.

"What took you so long?"

"Traffic."

"Are you ready to die, Agent Morgan?"

Derek saw the gun that was nearly touching his forehead. He stared up at the man who was determined to prove that he was indeed the better man. Unfortunately for Armando Villarreal, he would never be the better man and he'd grown confident which was in disobedience to the first rule of business in his line of work. So, here he stood relishing in what seemed to be a sure win, a fore gone conclusion to the life of a man that had become a constant reminder that he wasn't good enough. Armando saw the truth of what everyone had ever told him, that he was nothing and that he'd never amount to anything worthwhile.

"FBI! FREEZE!"

Armando's finger pulled against the resistant trigger. He was willing to gamble that his bullet would reach his victim's head before the FBI could talk him into surrendering. It was that confidence others would say later that had actually ended his life.

Then three shots rang out and once again the old damp mildewed dust flew frantically around the room as the bodies hit the floor.


	30. Chapter 30

Derek felt Armando's warm blood splatter against his face. The older man's look of horror just before he began his journey into death's dark alley was one that Derek would never forget. The man had delayed killing Derek to gloat and torment him one last time and that had been his undoing. Armando Villarreal was dead, and Derek, covered in blood was still alive and breathing. He whispered a prayer of thanks as he shot a quick glance toward the ceiling.

"DEREK!"

JJ's voice rang out from behind him; he wasn't able to speak just yet. Footsteps and the smell of gunpowder and death impregnated the air of the dingy warehouse. Derek fought to free his hands all he could imagine in that moment was freedom and Penelope. He needed her to know now that he was okay.

"Derek!"

"I'm okay, I'm okay." He uttered breathlessly.

Reid frantically freed his hands then his feet and helped him to stand. Derek wanted to hug his little brother, he wanted to hug them all. He was shocked that the plan had actually work although he'd never share that doubt with any of them.

"Penelope…"

"She's fine, she's at the police station." Reid assured him.

"Penelope, somebody needs to tell her it's over, please…"

"We'll call her, okay Morgan? We'll call her."

Derek nodded his head and struggled against his wobbly knees; he needed to be strong, to walk out of there under his own power. He wasn't sure why that was important because he had won, he'd beaten the monster that had terrorized and conspired against him. Derek allowed himself to be led toward the others taking one last look back just to make sure that Armando was really dead.

"He can't hurt you anymore." Reid assured. "He can't hurt anyone anymore."

**Home of Derek Morgan – Two weeks later –**

"How's Garcia?"

"She hasn't let me out of her sight since we've been back."

"Can you blame her?"

"No, no I guess not. Hotch I'm worried about her. It's like she doesn't believe it's over."

"She needs you to tell her it's over, Morgan."

"I have, a thousand times but she's stuck. I was so consumed with what Savannah and that man did to me; I never considered that I wasn't the only person that got hurt. She was hurt too!"

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I've got something in mind. In fact, that's why I've invited everyone over today."

Hotch smiled knowingly and thought that it was about damn time, about damn time indeed.

Derek had invited both of his families over to spend the day with him and Penelope. It had been a while since they had all gathered together for happy reasons. His mother and Dave had offered to host the gathering at the mansion, but Derek had something up his sleeve and he wanted it done on his own turf. JJ and Hotch had brought their sons and even though it wasn't a mansion there was plenty of room for everyone. Derek manned the grill with lots of input from the other men, while the women assisted Penelope in the kitchen. Fran eventually took over and a great feast was in the making. Derek had rented a large jumpy castle for the boys which seemed to have lured nearly a dozen neighborhood kids into the gathering as well.

The weather was perfect and so the group had made themselves comfortable around the picnic tables that Derek had arranged family style; one table was covered with food while two other tables nearby were set for guests to eat and talk. The neighborhood kids stayed, and it was just fine with Derek and Penelope. In fact, their parents who had become friends also joined in on the festivities bringing food and drinks with them. All in all, what started out as a small family gathering blossomed to nearly fifty people.

As the day morphed into evening the party shifted into high gear threatening to last into the morning. The backyard was now illuminated with strings and strings of well-placed lights and music from Derek and Pen's favorite playlist filled the air. Derek pulled Penelope onto the makeshift dance floor that he had installed earlier in the week and the other couples followed suit. It was a magical night with the stars and the moon shining overhead.

As the last song ended the dance floor slowly emptied. Derek held Penelope in place; she looked him in the eyes puzzled not sure what was going on. Then the sweetest melody broke the silence. The tune was familiar, one she hadn't heard in years. Slowly Derek pulled her close and began rocking them from side to side.

"_Each day through my window I watch her as she passes by. I say to myself you're such a lucky guy, to have a girl like her is truly a dream come true. Out of all the fellows in the world she belongs to me…"_

"Wow handsome, I didn't know you could sing! After all of these years, there are still things I don't know about you." She whispered in his ear.

Derek placed his finger lightly on her lips silencing her.

"_But it was just my imagination, once again runnin' away with me. It was just my imagination runnin' away with me._

"Oh sugah, it's not your imagination, I'm all yours!"

"Shush woman, I got something to say." He joked.

"Excuuuse me!"

"_Soon we'll be married and raise a family—oh yeah! A cozy little house out in the country, with two children, maybe three. I tell you I can visualize it all. This couldn't be a dream for too real it all seems."_

Penelope was overcome, she tried so hard to hold back the tears but at last she could not. Derek pulled away slightly and gently wiped the tears from her face. Their guests watched intently at the couple as faint oohs and ahhs were heard from the onlookers. Derek pulled her close against him and continued his serenade.

"_But it was just my imagination once again runnin' away with me. Tell you it was just my imagination runnin' away with me."_

Derek suddenly stopped singing and pulled away from her taking her hands in his. Penelope's heart rate was through the roof; she still couldn't believe that he had such an amazing voice. Then Derek spoke from his heart.

"Penelope, every night on my knees I pray, dear Lord hear my plea; don't ever let another take her love from me or I would surely die."

"My god, Derek…"

"Penelope, for so many years I've loved you. Baby Girl, for so long I've been your man, your husband, the father of your children. We lived in this house that I built with my own two hands and nothing and no one could hurt us or our babies, but there was just one thing wrong."

"What Handsome?"

"It was just my imagination. I was too afraid to make it real so I let so much time go by, spent myself on meaningless relationships that I knew couldn't make me happy."

Then Derek slowly dropped to his knee while pulling a black velvet box from his pocket. Penelope gasped in shock.

"Penelope Marie Garcia, I don't want you to be just a part of my imagination anymore and I don't want to die knowing that I'd lost you to someone else. So, if you'll have me, will you, Baby Girl be my wife?"

"Yes, Yes, Yes, I'll be your wife!"

Penelope pulled the teary-eyed man to his feet and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Everyone who had been holding their collective breaths suddenly erupted in joyous cheers and screams. Derek was so happy, he felt lighter and with reckless abandon he kissed his soon-to-be bride. The couple became engulfed in a sea of friends and family who had waited for this moment for far too many years. Both Penelope and Derek were delirious with happiness. They had endured so much; any number of things should have ended them but here they were standing against all odds ready and willing to begin their lives together as man and wife.

**Home of Dave and Fran Rossi – 6 Months later…The Wedding!**

Fran and Dave had convinced the bride and groom to allow them to host the wedding. The mansion was beautiful; filled with fragrant floral arrangements in pink, violet and white. The back garden was decorated to the hilt with a white gazebo as the anchor for the entire celebration. Fran wisely hired the top catering company in the Washington D.C. area so that she could manage the event and make sure everything went off without a hitch. The guest list included all of their close friends and family with no detail left undone.

Penelope examined herself in the full-length mirror. The long lace off-white vintage dress fit her perfectly and played off her creamy complexion flawlessly. She'd chosen to use a bright ruby red lip as the only color on her face; she had to admit that she felt and looked absolutely amazing.

"Oh Garcia, you look beautiful!"

Garcia heard what sounded like a chorus. She smiled to see her friends and soon to be family entering the room.

JJ, Emily, Desiree and Sarah burst through the door and formed a semi-circle around her.

"Our brother is going to be speechless when he sees you!" said Sarah.

"Thank you! Thank you all!"

"So." Emily began. "Are you ready to become Mrs. Derek Morgan?"

"I've been ready for a long time but now it seems like only yesterday that we met."

Fran stepped into the room and was brought to tears at the sight of her future daughter-in-law. She'd always thought of her as one of her own but today it would become official and she was overjoyed. Everyone paused and turned to face the older woman as she approached. Penelope noticed the gray velvet box in her hands.

"Penelope, Sweetheart you look simply breathtaking! My son is a lucky man!"

"I'm the lucky one Fran."

"Well, I'm just glad you too finally decided to come to your senses."

The group of women laughed as Fran handed Penelope the box.

"This is a little something I've been saving, and I was hoping that if you haven't already gotten your something old, then…"

Penelope opened the box and saw a beautiful gold necklace. It was obviously an antique with a deep burgundy ruby pendant. The bride was stunned as her future mother-in-law stood waiting for her answer.

"Fran, this is simply beautiful! I don't know what to say; are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure. You are the person God sent to save my son's life! You love him for who he is, and you have challenged him to be a better person. Am I sure? Yes dear, I'm sure."

"Thank you, thank you so much. I would be honored to wear this necklace."

Fran carefully lifted the necklace from the box and put it around Penelope's neck. It was perfect, falling just below her collarbone.

"My grandmother gave me this on my wedding day. I can't think of anyone else I'd love to have it then you."

"Tissue, tissue…I'm about to ruin my makeup!"

The ladies again burst into laughter as JJ quickly began to dab her friend's face.

Derek paced the floor checking his watch for the umpteenth time. Beads of sweat burst onto his forehead. Dave, Hotch and Reid watched in amusement at their friend; they'd never seen him this way before.

"Calm down Derek, you're going to drive us all crazy!" Dave chided.

"You? What about me? Am I crazy? How in the world…better yet, why in the world would a woman like Penelope marry me? I mean she's beautiful, she's smart…she can have anybody she wants…"

"Let's face it Morgan, it's a mystery to us too, but look let's not question it…"

"Thanks, Hotch…"

Derek ignored the smirks and sarcasm from his friends and continued to pace back and forth and back and forth.

"Son, all kidding aside; Penelope knows exactly what she wants and it's you. Relax and enjoy this day. You two deserve each other; this kind of love only comes around once in a lifetime…this is your time."

Dave held his stepson in place with two firm hands one on each shoulder; Derek looked him in the eye and nodded. The other two flanked the groom on each side and smiled nodding in agreement.

"I just want to be the best husband for Penelope, she deserves that and more."

"You will be Morgan; you don't know how to be anything else."

"Thanks, Pretty Boy."

"Now, lets get you two married!" Hotch ordered.

Raphael entered the garden from the side gate blending in with several other guests and remaining unnoticed. He'd been summoned to Virginia by his new employer, the U.S. government and against his wishes he was ordered to attend the nuptials of Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia. He loved weddings; it had been several years since he'd had the privilege of attending one, but this wedding had risks that he felt uncomfortable taking; nevertheless, he came. Now he stood and watched as the chairs filled up with friends and relatives. Raphael took great care to position himself so as not to be seen until he was ready to be seen.

Derek along with Reid, his best man and Hotch entered the garden and took their places in front of the gazebo. The Pastor nodded and smiled at the nervous groom. One by one the bridesmaids entered taking their time down the aisle and found their places across from the men. Each one, Emily, JJ and Derek's sisters looked amazing in shades of lavender and pink.

Suddenly, the music changed, and Derek's eyes found his bride at the top of the aisle on the arm of David Rossi. He was speechless, just like Sarah said he would be. He didn't even try to hold back his tears as she neared him. He stepped forward and met her at the end of the white runner and gently took her hand.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"I do along with her family and friends." Dave answered.

Raphael smiled as he listened to the Pastor's words of instruction admonishing the happy couple to take seriously the act and the vows of marriage. He watched the bride and groom place the rings in the older man's hands. Raphael listened to the prayer for eternal union, patience, love and loyalty and a promise to a bond that could only be broken by death. It brought back so many memories of his own wedding and he watched as the couple was officially pronounced husband and wife.

Derek kissed his bride and she kissed him back. Penelope never believed she could be this happy. Derek was the man she had always dreamed of and he loved her with all of his being. He'd fought against everything including death just to be able to stand here today with her and declare his undying and unwavering love to her. She was grateful and she'd spend the rest of her life proving to him and God just how grateful she was.

Derek and Penelope walked hand in hand down the aisle smiling and nodding at their family and friends. The music and smiles of the others confirmed that today was a great day. Derek had never been this happy and for most of his life he'd believed that he could never deserve such happiness but somehow God had smiled on him and overlooked his failings to bless him with Penelope. He believed now that there really was a God.

The happy couple made it down the aisle to the opposite end of the runner and headed toward the reception space totally unaware of their uninvited guest. Raphael joined the others in smiles and moans of oohs and ahhs as he fingered the small electronic device in his pocket, finally giving it a slight push.

"Derek?"

A strange sensation hit Derek and he felt off kilter for a brief moment; then just as quickly it passed.

"Derek are you okay?"

"I'm good Baby Girl! I think I need to eat, that's all."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm more than sure. I'm fine, nothing is going to ruin this day, not even a queasy stomach."

"Good, because I have plans for you, Mr. Morgan." She smiled kissing him lightly on the lips.

Derek returned the kiss adding a little fire as if warning her of things to come.

"Ohhh, Handsome, keep that up and this reception will end early!"

"Promise?"

"I Promise!"

###

**Note: Just My Imagination is a song performed and made famous by the Temptations. The song was written by, Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Home of David and Fran Rossi – **

"They look so happy."

Fran had never seen her son this way; she had always wondered if he would ever truly be happy. His past had convinced him that he was unworthy of anything that resembled happiness. Fran exhaled a breath of relief as Dave wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him.

"Yes, they do."

Things had worked out better than any of them had hoped and not only did Derek and Penelope deserve this day, they all did. It was a day of hope and in their line of work they needed a reminder every now and then that there was some good in the world.

"You and the girls did an amazing job pulling this together, Bella."

"Thank you, Dave. I just hope it's everything they wanted."

"Look at them, they have never been so happy."

Everything had gone off without a hitch even the weather had been the best it had been in weeks. Everyone that was important to the newlyweds were in attendance and the food and music were amazing. Fran couldn't help but have visions of grandbabies in her future.

The dancing and music and never-ending food continued well into the night and it seemed as if no one was in a hurry to leave. Derek and Penelope strode hand in hand making sure to thank everyone individually for coming and sharing their wedding day with them.

Raphael made sure to stay out of sight he wasn't ready to be seen quite yet. He'd enjoyed the day as he fumbled with the small black device in his pocket. He watched as Derek and Penelope waved goodbye to their guests and pulled away from the mansion in a large black limousine. Without being noticed he followed the couple careful not to lose them in traffic.

**Four Seasons Resort – Evening – **

Derek and Penelope could hardly wait to get to their room. It had been a long day, but they were determined to spend the night showing each other just how much in love they were. Derek waited impatiently for the elevator to crawl down to the lobby from the twenty-fifth floor.

"What is up with this elevator?"

"Patience, my love; patience."

"How can I be patient when all I want to do is get you out of that wedding dress and …

_Ping…_

"Finally!"

Derek pulled his bride into the elevator and before she could respond he kissed her passionately on the lips. Penelope returned the kiss as she felt her husband's hands roaming up and down her body.

"Derek…"

"I want you so bad, Baby Girl."

"Not as bad as I want you, Handsome."

She kissed him again to prove her point.

Just as the door was about to close an arm forced its way in causing the door to spring open. Derek and Penelope exchanged eye rolls and giggles as the stranger stepped inside. Raphael made it a point not to stare as he held his head down and took his place behind the newlyweds. Lightly, he tapped the device in his pocket and watched the man react against the sensation shooting through his body. Then in an instant, he was back to himself with the bride being none the wiser. He pushed it again.

"Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have the key?"

_Ping…_

"Here's our floor and yes, Baby Girl I have the key."

The happy couple stepped off the elevator and so did Raphael pretending to go in the opposite direction; pushing the device again…just a light tap for good measure. The gold-plated sign at their room read, "P-H" and both bride and groom could hardly wait to open the door.

"Oh Derek, this room is amazing!"

"Wow, the Penthouse; David really out did himself this time!"

The room was beautifully decorated with red, purple and white roses and a tray filled with decadent snacks and bottles of champagne on ice that sat near the large sliding glass door. The cityscape illuminated the sky and everything looked and felt like a fairytale. The two who never expected true love had finally found it in each other.

"This looks amazing but all I want to do is make love to my wife." Derek began.

"Well as good as all this looks there's nothing here that can't wait."

Derek loved her in the antique-white lace dress; it hugged her magnificent curves perfectly, but all he could think about was how amazing she would look out of the dress. Penelope loved Derek in a tuxedo but right now it was blocking her view of his amazing body. Piece by piece their clothes littered the floor and the couple lost themselves in each other.

"You're real."

Derek began peppering her neck with light feather kisses taking care to not miss any spot as he trailed down to her collarbone and neck and back to her lips.

"Of course."

"And it's true; I am a lucky guy."

Penelope was finding it hard to concentrate as Derek's hands slowly began to move over her body.

"Oh…the song…I re-remember…"

"I love you Mrs. Morgan."

"I love you too Mr. Morgan; now make love to me."

"Is this how it's going to be; you bossing me around?"

"Yes, so you better get used to it, mister!" She joked pulling him down on the bed.

"I think I'm going to like being married to you, Baby Girl."

There was a knock at the door. The newlyweds tried to ignore it, but the knock came again and again.

"Didn't you put the, Do-Not-Disturb sign on the door, Hot Stuff?"

"Of course."

The knock came again this time with more force.

"Hotel Security! I hate to disturb you but it's an emergency!"

"Damn!"

Derek grabbed his pants and pulled them on and headed toward the door; Penelope moved toward the bathroom out of sight. Just before Derek reached the doorknob, the knock came again. Derek angrily jerked the door open.

Raphael smiled at the man; obviously, he had interrupted something. He glanced past Derek to see that the bed was empty. He pushed the button; holding it down until he saw Derek's face relax and the anger in his eyes was replaced with a glassy blank stare.

"Now, that's better. Hello Derek, remember me?"

"No, please…"

"Did you think we were through with you, Derek?"

Raphael pressed the button again and his prey grimaced in pain.

"Stop, please!" He pleaded.

"Your government has a special job for you, agent Morgan."

Derek didn't respond he just stood in place as Raphael paced a small circle around him. Then stopping he leaned in and whispered in Derek's ear.

"Do you understand?"

Derek nodded his head.

"Good, very good, agent."

"Why are you making me do this?"

Raphael frowned and pressed the button again sending Derek to his knees.

"No questions. Do you understand your orders?"

"Yes, I understand." He moaned struggling to his feet.

"Good very good. Now enjoy your wedding night and I'll see you tomorrow. Don't disappoint me."

"I won't disappoint you."

Penelope heard the door close and she assumed that it was safe to come out. She sauntered over to her husband letting the robe lazily fall from her shoulders to the floor. Derek stood unmoving staring toward the door.

"I didn't think he'd ever leave! What was the emergency?"

"Each day through my window I watch her as she passes by. I say to myself you're such a lucky guy, to have a girl like her is truly a dream come true. Out of all the fellows in the world she belongs to me." He sang as if in a trance.

Derek slowly turned to face his bride; his eyes brimming with tears. She was touched and she thought back to the night that he had sung that same song to her just before he asked her to marry him' she had no idea that he could sing.

"You're a man of many talents Derek. I had no idea until that night that you had such a beautiful voice."

Derek took her hand and led her back to the bed. One by one the tears dropped and rolled down his face. Gently he pushed her down on the bed and then climbed in next to her. The room was filled with the sounds of their kisses that led to moans as his hands occupied themselves with her body.

"I love you Penelope, do you believe me?"

She saw something in his eyes, just past the tears something that she'd never seen before. He locked his eyes on her as he climbed between her legs and entered her. She wanted him more than anything but there was something different and she didn't know what it was.

"Yes, of course I believe you."

He made love to her with a passion that seemed almost other worldly as if he were making love to her for the first and last time all at once.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear.

She was getting closer to her release and so was he, but he wasn't ready for it end; not yet and so he slowed his pace making her wait just a while longer.

"Derek?"

"I'll always love you, Baby Girl."

She was so close, so close, and so was he; his body began to tremble slow at first then faster as he picked up his pace. He kissed her hard over and over as he moaned out her name. She couldn't hold it any longer, digging her nails into his back sending him over the edge. The two found their release in each other's arms and their moans of pleasure sounded like a dark symphony.

Derek collapsed next to her, his face still stained with his tears and wrapped her in his arms tightly as if afraid to let her go. She laid her head on him and listened as his heartbeat loudly in his chest. She never felt so fulfilled and so loved but she couldn't get the look in his eyes out her mind. She'd never seen that look before and just as his heartbeat was slowing and he began to fall asleep she realized what the look was…it was fear.

###

"_Some people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them," I said.___

_"Right, of course. But you keep the promise anyway. That's what love is. Love is keeping the promise anyway."__― __John Green, __The Fault in Our Stars_

THE END

(Stay tuned for the sequel…)


End file.
